Coup Plotters Were Doomed — Defence Minister

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) — Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, has described the officers accused of plotting a coup against President Bola Tinubu as “confused individuals” who had little support.

Speaking on Arise News on Friday, Musa said even ordinary Nigerians would have resisted the coup plotters if the military had not stepped in.

“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 said he was disappointed by the officers involved in the alleged plot, adding that senior officers misled junior personnel into trouble.

“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,” Musa said.

He also expressed sympathy for the junior officers facing trial, saying more senior officers influenced them.

“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.

Musa said the ongoing court-martial process is transparent and that the accused officers are being allowed to defend themselves properly.

“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,” he said.

The minister insisted there was no reason for any coup attempt, saying the government had well supported the armed forces.

“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,” he stated.

Musa also defended democracy, saying military rule is not better for the country.

“Democracy is far, far better than any military regime. This is an opportunity to show the junior ones that this coup doesn’t pay,” he said.

According to earlier statements by the Defence Minister, the alleged plot began before Tinubu’s inauguration in 2023 and was linked to a colonel said to be unhappy after failing a promotion examination for the rank of brigadier-general.

The alleged conspiracy became known in September 2025 after intelligence reports by the Nigerian Army and the State Security Service.

Although the Defence Headquarters first denied reports of a coup attempt, the military later confirmed that some detained officers would face trial before a court martial.

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