Coup plot: I was a target, planned to be shot — Defence minister

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has said he was among those marked for arrest by officers accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, adding that the plan was to shoot him if he resisted.

Musa disclosed this on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, days after the military announced that 16 officers arrested in October 2025 would face trial over an alleged coup plot.

The former Chief of Defence Staff said he became aware that he was listed as a target of the plotters.

“I was also a target. I was supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot,” he said.

The military had, in October, announced the arrest of 16 officers for acts described as indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.

However, in a statement last week, the authorities said further investigations linked some of the officers to allegations of attempting to overthrow the government, describing the conduct as contrary to the ethics and professional standards of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, said those found to have cases to answer would be arraigned 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.