Coup: “I was supposed to be arrested — and shot if I resisted” — Defence Minister

The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), says he was listed among those to be arrested by officers now facing trial over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, adding that he was to be shot if he resisted.

Musa spoke on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, days after the military confirmed that 16 officers arrested in October 2025 would be tried in connection with the case.

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

He described the accused officers as unprepared for the scale of resistance they would have faced, arguing that both the armed forces and the public would have opposed any attempt to seize power.

“If you look at the calibre of the individuals, I don’t know what got into their heads to think they could take on the armed forces like that. Even without the armed forces, Nigerians would have stood against them,” he said, noting the country’s history of opposition to military rule.

In October, the military announced the arrest of 16 officers for what it described at the time as acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations. Authorities later said further investigations linked some of the officers to allegations of attempting to overthrow the government.

Last week, the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, said those with cases to answer would be arraigned before a military judicial panel in line with the Armed Forces Act and other service regulations.

He said the process would ensure accountability while observing fairness and due process.