Did 'Stan K', Nollywood actor, really involve himself in a coup?

Did 'Stan K', Stanley Amandi, the Veteran Nollywood actor and filmmaker really get himself involved in a coup plot to violently overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu?

That has been the question on the lips of many people who know him and his quiet life as an actor, resident in the coal city of Enugu.

Stan K is probably the only Igbo man and civilian, for that matter, that has been named as participants in the foiled mutiny.

His fellow actors and actresses have been shocked by the development and have been short of words since news made the rounds of his arrest.

Earlier, the Actors Guild had raised the alarm last year when he disappeared, not knowing that he was picked up by the Department of the State Security (DSS).

The Guild wrote to the DSS that he was missing only to be replied that Stan K was in their custody. But the Actors didn't know it was over an alleged coup plot, until Thursday's military announcement of his involvement. 

The filmmaker, also a former chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Enugu State chapter, was reportedly detained in September 2025 alongside several military officers accused of planning a violent overthrow, including potential assassinations of top officials, according to sources.

Reports indicated that the coup plotters planned to wholesale assassination of top government officials including President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, among others.

On Monday, the Defence Headquarters confirmed the plan to illegally oust the Tinubu administration, saying the indicted 16 military officers will be arraigned before military judicial panels.

In its statement, the Defence Headquarters said the investigation has been completed and forwarded to “appropriate superior authority in line with extant regulations.”

According to the military, the investigation was “comprehensive” and conducted in line with established procedures, examining “all circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel.”

The military disclosed that the findings identified “a number of the officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government,” describing such conduct as “inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”

Mr Amandi has featured in many Nollywood movies and is known for his work as an actor, production manager and director.

His notable works include “The Album,” where he served as director; “Tiger King,” where he also served as director and produced in 2008; “Cornerstone,” produced in 2019; and “Once Upon a Dream,” in which he appeared as an actor in 2024.

Mr Amandi’s last Instagram post was on 19 September 2025, shortly before his arrest.