The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, said that he was among the key targets of a foiled coup plot, revealing that the alleged masterminds planned to have him shot if he resisted arrest.
General Musa made the revelation on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, days after the military confirmed that about 16 officers arrested in October would be tried over an alleged attempt to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
“I was also a target, I am sure you know,” said the minister, who is the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). “I was supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot.”
In October, the military announced the arrest of “sixteen officers over acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.” However, authorities later disclosed that further investigations uncovered more serious allegations.
According to the Armed Forces, findings linked some of the officers to an alleged plot to topple the government—acts described as being “inconsistent with the ethics, values, and professional standards required of members of the AFN.”
The Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said those implicated would be prosecuted.
“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,” he stated.
Nigerian Newssphere reports that sixteen officers were indicted after an investigation by the country’s military panel.
