Coup Plotters Were Foolhardy, Even Civilians Would’ve Stopped Them – Defence Minister
Defence Minister Christopher Musa has said the officers accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government had so little support that ordinary Nigerians would have stopped them without military intervention.
Musa made the statement during an interview on Arise News on Friday while speaking on the ongoing court martial involving officers linked to the alleged October 2025 coup plot.
According to him, the accused officers acted foolishly and dragged inexperienced junior officers into a failed mission.
“Even the civilians in Nigeria would have taken them down. So I think it was just foolhardy for them to have done what they wanted to do,” he said.
The minister expressed disappointment over the calibre of officers allegedly involved in the plot.
“I just looked at the people that were involved and I shook my head, because they are just a bunch of confused individuals that exposed very junior officers who didn’t know their left from their right, and now put them into this mess. It’s quite unfortunate,” Musa stated.
He also sympathised with the junior officers currently facing trial, describing them as victims of poor leadership and manipulation by senior officers.
“We always feel bad when we see our colleagues in this situation. But the good thing is that the system has a way of going about it,” he added.
Speaking on the ongoing prosecution, Musa insisted that the military was following due process and allowing the accused officers fair opportunities to defend themselves.
“The investigation was very thorough. The prosecution is now ongoing, and the court martial will go as planned. We are giving them all the benefits to defend themselves.
“But the facts on the ground are very, very clear, and I can tell you that we are following all the processes. Nothing is hidden,” he said.
The minister further argued that the alleged coup attempt had no justification, insisting that the armed forces had been adequately supported under the current administration.
“They had no reason to do that. The country was going very well. The armed forces have been taken care of quite well. We’ve never had issues with our salaries.
“Efforts have been made to even increase our allowances. Our troops are doing quite well,” Musa stated.
He also defended democracy over military rule, warning younger officers against participating in unconstitutional actions.
“Democracy is far, far better than any military regime. And so this is an opportunity to show the junior ones that this coup doesn’t pay,” he said.
Reports had earlier indicated that the alleged plot centred around a disgruntled colonel who reportedly failed promotion examinations to the rank of brigadier-general.
The conspiracy allegedly came to light in September 2025 following intelligence gathered by the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services.
The military later confirmed that officers linked to the alleged plot would face court martial proceedings after initially dismissing reports of a coup attempt.
Contact: justnewsonly1@gmail.com
