The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, has revealed that he was one of the main targets in an alleged coup plot and that the plan was for him to be killed if he refused to cooperate.
Gatekeepers News reports that General Musa made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, coming shortly after the Nigerian military confirmed that some of the 16 officers arrested in October 2025 would face trial over an alleged attempt to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking on the programme, the minister said he was aware that he was listed among those the plotters planned to arrest. He stated clearly, “I was also a target, I am sure you know.”
He added that the plan was not only to detain him, but to eliminate him if he resisted, saying, “I was supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot.”
The Defence Headquarters had earlier announced the arrest of the 16 officers, initially describing their actions as misconduct within the armed forces. However, fresh findings later linked some of them to allegations of plotting against the government.
A statement issued by the Director, Major General Samaila Uba, explained that the military’s investigation discovered serious claims against some of the officers. The statement said, “findings have identified a number of the officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government, which is inconsistent with the ethics, values, and professional standards required of members of the AFN.”
It added that, “Accordingly, those with cases to answer will be formally arraigned before an appropriate military judicial panel to face trial in accordance with the Armed Forces Act and other applicable service regulations.”
Reports have also suggested that other top government officials and prominent figures were listed as possible targets in the alleged plot. There were also claims linking the incident to the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary parade, while former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva’s house was reportedly raided due to an alleged connection to the case.
General Musa described the alleged plotters as people who did not understand what they were attempting. He said, “I think these guys were a bunch of unserious individuals. If you look at the calibre of persons [involved in the attempted coup], I don’t know what got into their heads to think they can take on the Armed Forces like that.”
He also insisted that Nigerians would not have accepted a return to military rule, stressing that citizens have resisted such actions in the past. According to him, “What I even said is that even Nigerians would have fought them. Remember, Nigerians have fought against military rule for quite some time. Mr President has been one of them, so for them to wake up one morning and think they can do that in Nigeria, I think they need to reset their brain.”
Nigeria has experienced several coups in the past, especially between 1966 and 1993, but the country returned to democracy in 1999 and has remained under civilian rule since then.
The alleged coup attempt is also coming at a time when some West African countries have faced military takeovers and attempted coups in recent years.
