By Event Diary Lifestyle
Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has disclosed that he was among the prime targets of a foiled coup plot aimed at overthrowing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Musa said he was “supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot,” highlighting the alleged plotters’ plans to eliminate key government officials if their plans were resisted.
The revelations come days after the Nigerian military confirmed that about 16 officers arrested in October 2025 would soon face trial over their alleged involvement in the attempted coup. The Defence Minister, who previously served as Chief of Defence Staff, noted that several top government officials and other prominent national figures were reportedly earmarked for elimination.
Initially, the arrested officers were said to have been detained for acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations. Subsequent investigations, however, reportedly uncovered evidence linking some of them to an attempt to overthrow the Tinubu administration.
Major General Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information, said in a statement last week that the actions of the officers were “inconsistent with the ethics and professional standards of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.” He added that 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.”
The military has maintained that the arrests and ensuing investigations were part of measures to safeguard national security and uphold the integrity of the Nigerian Armed Forces.