Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has revealed that he was among senior officials targeted in an alleged coup plot uncovered by the military late last year, saying the plan included his arrest and possible execution.
Speaking on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, the minister said the plotters intended to arrest him and shoot him if he resisted.
His disclosure follows confirmation by the Armed Forces of Nigeria that some of the officers arrested in October 2025 will be prosecuted for allegedly attempting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“I was also a target,” Musa said. “The plan was to arrest me, and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot.”
The military initially announced the arrest of 16 officers last October for alleged acts of indiscipline. However, further investigations later linked some of them to a wider plot to destabilise the government.
In a statement last week, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said evidence showed that some suspects acted in ways “inconsistent with the ethics and professional standards of the Armed Forces.”
He said those with cases to answer would be arraigned before a military judicial panel in line with the Armed Forces Act.
Security sources say the alleged plot extended beyond the military, with reports indicating that several top government officials were listed as potential targets. The incident has also been linked to the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary parade.
There were also reports that the residence of a former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva, was searched, although no formal charges have been announced.
Musa dismissed the plotters as lacking the capacity to challenge the Nigerian military, saying any attempt to subvert democracy would have failed.
“These were unserious individuals,” he said. “They could not have taken on the Armed Forces.”
He added that Nigerians, having resisted military rule in the past, would oppose any attempt to return the country to authoritarian rule.
Nigeria experienced multiple military coups between 1966 and 1993 before returning to civilian rule in 1999.
The alleged coup plot comes amid a wave of military takeovers and failed attempts across West Africa.
Meanwhile, reports indicated that a police officer, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim from Taraba State, was arrested alongside military officers by the Defence Intelligence Agency in Abuja.
Security sources say about 35 military personnel from the Army, Navy, and Air Force are currently in detention over the alleged plot.
Although the Defence Headquarters initially denied the existence of a coup plot, it acknowledged last week that allegations of attempting to overthrow the government were among the findings against some of the detained officers.
