The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has revealed that he was among the key targets of a recently uncovered plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying the conspirators planned to arrest him or shoot him if he resisted.
Musa made the disclosure on Sunday while speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme. He described those behind the plot as “very unserious individuals” who grossly underestimated Nigeria’s democratic institutions and the strength of its armed forces.
“I was also a target. I was supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was to be shot,” Musa said, noting that such risks come with the responsibilities of high office. He added that coup plotters typically act knowing the grave consequences if they fail.
According to the Defence Minister, the suspects lacked the capacity to challenge the Nigerian state and showed a poor understanding of the country’s history and current realities. He said that even without military intervention, Nigerians would have resisted any attempt to topple a democratically elected government.
“These are not the Nigeria of the past. Nigerians fought long and hard against military rule. For anyone to think they could just wake up and carry out a coup today, something is clearly wrong,” he said.
Musa disclosed that most of those involved had been arrested, with only “one or two” suspects possibly still at large. He traced the plot largely to personal grievances, explaining that a disgruntled colonel who failed to secure promotion allegedly initiated the plan and recruited others with similar complaints.
“The armed forces’ promotion system is strict and merit-based. He didn’t meet the requirements and chose to go down this path,” Musa said, expressing concern for junior officers who were allegedly misled and now face serious consequences.
He stressed that executing a coup in modern-day Nigeria is virtually impossible without the backing of top military commanders—a factor completely absent in this case. Past coups, he noted, only succeeded when senior commanders were involved.
On the investigation, Musa said a thorough, multi-agency probe was conducted, involving the Defence Intelligence Agency, National Intelligence Agency, Department of State Services and other bodies, to ensure no innocent officers were wrongly indicted.
“These matters must be based on verifiable facts that can stand in court,” he said, adding that speculation alone was insufficient for prosecution.
The Defence Minister also dismissed claims that the plot was driven by dissatisfaction with the current administration, saying it was conceived before Tinubu’s inauguration, when the plotters already knew the outcome of the election.
Meanwhile, investigations have widened to include alleged financial crimes linked to the plot. A former governor, who has been outside the country for months following a raid on his Abuja residence, is reportedly being tracked by security agencies in collaboration with international partners and could face arraignment in absentia.
While initial reports last year downplayed the arrests of several officers, the military has since confirmed that investigations uncovered a genuine attempt to destabilise the government, with multiple suspects now facing charges.