The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has confirmed that suspects arrested over the alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration have been taken to court and are currently facing trial.
Key Highlights
- Defence Minister Christopher Musa confirms suspects are facing trial.
- Musa says investigators established that the alleged coup plot was genuine.
- Minister says suspects were allegedly motivated by financial gain.
- Six suspects were reportedly charged before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
- 36 serving military personnel reportedly faced separate proceedings before a General Court Martial.
- Investigators allegedly examined plans targeting the Presidential Villa and other strategic locations.
- Musa links recent security attacks to the approach of the 2027 elections.
- Government maintains it will not pay ransom to kidnappers.
Musa, a retired army general and former Chief of Defence Staff, disclosed this on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, while providing an update on investigations into the alleged coup plot uncovered in 2025.
The minister said investigators had established that the alleged plot was genuine and that those involved intended to seize power.
“The coup was genuine, and they truly intended to carry it out,” Musa said.
According to him, the alleged plotters were primarily motivated by financial gain rather than ideological or political objectives.
Coup Suspects Taken to Court
Musa said the suspects were initially detained while security agencies investigated the allegations but had since been transferred to the courts for prosecution.
He stressed that the matter was now before the judiciary and was no longer under the control of the military.
“I believe they have been investigated. They have taken them to court, so it remains with the courts. It is not with us; it is still with the courts,” he said.
The alleged coup plot was uncovered in September 2025, leading to the arrest of military officers and other individuals suspected of involvement.
Investigations reportedly expanded to include serving and retired military officers, civilians and other individuals allegedly connected to the proposed takeover.
Reports indicated that six suspects, including retired military officers and a police officer, were charged before the Federal High Court in Abuja, while 36 serving military personnel faced separate proceedings before a General Court Martial.
Presidential Villa Allegedly Part of Coup Plan
Musa said investigators also examined individuals who allegedly assisted operatives around the Presidential Villa.
He said investigations were revealing more details about people allegedly assigned to positions around the Villa and the Villa Clinic.
Investigators had reportedly identified alleged plans involving the Presidential Villa, military formations and other strategic locations as part of the proposed takeover.
Musa, who was Chief of Defence Staff when the alleged plot was uncovered, had previously said intelligence gathered during the investigation indicated that he was among senior officials targeted by the plotters.
Read also:
- “I Was Misled” — Villa Worker Denies Coup Plot As Court Hears Fresh Evidence Against Defendants
- Revealed: How Tinubu, Shettima, Akpabio, Abbas Escape Death In Alleged Military Coup
Musa Says No Concrete Reason for Alleged Coup
Asked whether the alleged coup was politically motivated, Musa said some of those involved might have been influenced by memories of Nigeria’s previous military regimes.
He suggested that some suspects may have believed that seizing power could provide them with opportunities to become politically influential and benefit financially.
“There’s really no concrete reason,” he said.
Musa maintained that members of the armed forces had no justification for attempting to overthrow a democratically elected government, arguing that democracy had provided improved opportunities for both the military and the wider country.
Defence Minister Links Rising Attacks to 2027 Elections
The minister also linked the recent increase in attacks across Nigeria to the approach of the 2027 general elections.
According to Musa, previous security trends showed that attacks tend to decline after elections and gradually increase as another election approaches.
He said the pattern had been observed across successive election cycles.
Musa, however, said security agencies were responding to the renewed attacks and had succeeded in reducing their intensity.
“The good news now is that the security forces are working very, very well to ensure we stop this,” he said.
He added that while insecurity could not be eliminated overnight, security agencies were intensifying operations to address the situation.
Security Agencies Track Terrorism Financing
Musa also disclosed that security agencies were tracing funds allegedly used by terrorist organisations operating in Nigeria.
He said the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit was making progress in tracking financial flows linked to terrorism, including the use of cryptocurrency, proxy accounts and crowdfunding mechanisms.
The minister also said some terrorist networks operating in Nigeria had links to international organisations.
FG Maintains No-Ransom Policy
Musa reiterated the Federal Government’s position that it does not pay ransom to kidnappers.
“We’re not paying. That’s not an official thing. We don’t encourage ransom,” he said.
He said ransom payments were not government policy and warned against supporting kidnapping through ransom payments.
The minister also disclosed that security forces had rescued more than 700 people during ongoing operations, although he said nearly 1,000 Nigerians remained in captivity.
Musa Warns Against Religious and Ethnic Division
The Defence Minister cautioned politicians and other Nigerians against exploiting religion and ethnicity to deepen divisions in the country.
He recalled the tensions associated with previous military interventions, saying they contributed to divisions between northern and southern Nigeria.
Musa described anyone attempting to divide Nigerians along religious or ethnic lines as an enemy of the state.
He further argued that the military had no reason to seek political power because democratic governance offered better conditions for the armed forces and the country.
Musa was appointed Minister of Defence in December 2025 after previously serving as Chief of Defence Staff. He currently oversees the Federal Government’s military response to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other security threats across Nigeria.
