Defence Minister confirms coup plot suspects are in court

The Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, has said that suspects linked to the alleged plan to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government are now in court facing trial.

Mr Musa, a retired army general, shared this information on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today. He gave an update on the investigation into the coup plot discovered in 2025.

He confirmed that the plot was real and that investigators found the suspects wanted to take over the government.

“The coup was genuine, and they truly intended to carry it out,” Mr Musa said.

The minister explained that the suspected plotters were mainly driven by money, not by political beliefs or ideology.

“The attempt was genuine, and they truly wanted to do it for some reason. And again, when you hear why they wanted to do it, you realise that they’re just a bunch of misguided individuals who went into it for money alone,” he said.

Suspects now in court

Mr Musa mentioned that the suspects were first held while security agencies looked into the claims. They have now been moved to court for prosecution.

He said the case is no longer with 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 discovered in late September 2025, leading to the arrest of military officers and other suspects.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the investigation grew to include both serving and retired military officers, civilians, and others believed to be connected to the plot. The government later admitted that there was a plan to overthrow the Tinubu administration and promised that those found guilty would face prosecution.

This newspaper also noted that the suspected plotters had targeted senior political and military officials. Mr Musa, who was the chief of defence staff at the time, was among those said to be targeted. In February, he stated that intelligence gathered during the investigation suggested he would be arrested and if he resisted, shot.

Many people are connected to the alleged plot. PREMIUM TIMES reported that six suspects, including retired military officers and a police officer, were charged at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Meanwhile, 36 serving military personnel faced separate trials at a General Court Martial.

‘No concrete reason’ for coup

When asked if the alleged plot was politically motivated, Mr Musa said he thinks the suspects might have been influenced by memories of Nigeria’s military governments. In those times, soldiers who took power often ended up as governors and ministers.

He said there was no real reason for their actions.

“I think the intent of the plotters is just… probably they saw the reminiscences about the past military regimes, how they became governors and became ministers and all this.

“And they felt, man, it’s been a long time. Maybe it’s time for us to be able to benefit from that. Otherwise, there’s really no concrete reason.”

Mr Musa said the investigation also looked into people who supposedly helped around the Presidential Villa.

“We’re hearing more details about those hit men, or the men who were on guard at the presidential villa, near the villa clinic. Those who were involved, those who helped, and how they received aid and all that,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES has reported that investigators found plans involving the Presidential Villa, military bases, and other key locations as part of the takeover plan. Recent reports based on investigation documents showed that some suspects had specific tasks around the Villa and the homes of senior military officers.