Coup Plot: I Was a Target, Planned to Be Shot — Defense Minister
The Minister of Defense, General Christopher Musa (retired), said he was among those marked for arrest by officers accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu. He added that the plan was to shoot him if he resisted.
Musa shared this on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, days after the military announced that 16 officers detained in October 2025 would face trial over an alleged coup plot.
The former Chief of Defense Staff said he learned he was listed as a target by the plotters.
He said, “I was also a target. I was supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot.
“But that’s the job. And anybody who goes into a coup, I mean, zeroes his mind because you know, you succeed, you don’t succeed, whatever consequences come, you’re ready for it. But again, I think these guys were just a bunch of very unserious individuals who really don’t know.
“If you look at the caliber of the individuals, if you look at, I don’t know what’s gotten into their heads to think that they could take on the armed forces like that. What I even said was that even Nigerians would have fought them. Even without the armed forces, Nigerians would have stood against them. Remember, Nigerians have fought against military rule for quite some time.”
The military announced in October the arrest of 16 officers for acts described as indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.
However, in a statement last week, authorities said further investigations linked some officers to allegations of attempting to overthrow the government, describing the conduct as contrary to the ethics and professional standards of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The Director of Defense Information, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, said those found to have cases to answer would be brought before a military judicial panel in line with the Armed Forces Act and other relevant service regulations.
He added that the process was aimed at ensuring accountability while observing fairness and due process.
