Defence Minister: Coup Plotters Planned to Kill Me if I Resisted Arrest

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has revealed that he was a target in the alleged 2025 coup plot and would have been shot if he resisted arrest.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Sunday, Musa, who was Chief of Defence Staff at the time, described the plotters as “unserious individuals” and said he did not understand how they believed they could take on the Armed Forces.

“I was supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot,” he said. “Anybody who goes into a coup… you must be ready for the consequences. But these guys were very unserious.”

The alleged coup, uncovered in September 2025 through intelligence from the army, DSS, and DIA, reportedly aimed to assassinate President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and other top officials, as well as arrest senior military leaders.

Earlier reports linked the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day parade to the plot, but Defence Headquarters denied any connection. Sixteen officers were arrested, while two remained at large.

Short URL: https://www.africanexaminer.com/?p=105498