FG Orders Crackdown on Coup Advocates, Labels Them Enemies of Democracy

In a decisive move, the Federal Government has directed the Defence Intelligence Agency to pursue individuals promoting a military takeover in the country. Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, characterized these coup advocates as criminals and enemies of democracy, emphasizing the imperative to bring them to justice.

Matawalle’s directive, outlined in a statement signed by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Information, Mr. Henshaw Ogubike, comes in response to viral videos and incendiary statements circulating on media platforms. These elements falsely depict a situation conducive to military intervention, which the government vehemently opposes.

The statement emphasized that criminal acts, such as attacks on a warehouse and a haulage vehicle transporting food supplies, should not serve as grounds for unpatriotic individuals to call for military intervention. It underlined the incompatibility of such actions with the democratic culture embraced by Nigerians, rendering coups outdated and unacceptable.

Minister Matawalle warned coup instigators against their unconstitutional calls for the removal of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, affirming that the government would not treat them lightly. He termed the idea of a violent change of government through the military as absurd, preposterous, and naive, emphasizing the military’s commitment to its constitutional duty of defending the nation.

Rejecting the allure of coups, the minister asserted that those advocating for such actions do not genuinely love Nigeria. He reassured the public that, under the present government, a military takeover is out of the question. Matawalle stressed the importance of elected leaders leading while the military fulfills its duty of safeguarding the constitution.