February 2, 2026 l By Dalena Reporters Staff Correspondent
ABUJA — Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has revealed that he was among senior officials specifically targeted by alleged coup plotters last year and that those conspirators intended to arrest him and, if he resisted, shoot him. The disclosure came during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme on Sunday.
General Musa — who had previously served as Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) before his current cabinet appointment said intelligence gathered by security agencies showed that the foiled plot included plans to detain him and eliminate him if he refused. “I was also a target,” Musa said. “I was supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot.”
The minister characterized the alleged conspirators as “unserious individuals,” suggesting they lacked the capability to successfully challenge the country’s armed forces. Nonetheless, he said the threat was real enough to underscore the seriousness of the plan uncovered by the military’s investigative units.
The comments follow official statements that a group of at least 16 military officers arrested in October 2025 will be formally tried before a military judicial panel for actions linked to a plot to overthrow the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Defence Headquarters has described the pending charges as resulting from breaches of service regulations and conduct “inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards” expected of Nigerian Armed Forces personnel.
Musa’s remarks also highlighted how intelligence efforts helped unravel parts of the alleged covert plan, which authorities say involved efforts to disrupt Nigeria’s constitutional order. While details about all purported targets have not been released, previous reporting indicates senior government officials were among those purportedly considered for detention or removal.
The minister’s account comes amid lingering public debate over the circumstances surrounding the arrests and the timing of their disclosure, with some observers linking the earlier cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary parade to the alleged coup attempt a link authorities have neither confirmed nor fully explained.
Security analysts say that the Defence Minister’s disclosure particularly the confirmation that key officials were on a target list may influence both public perception and the ongoing legal process against the accused officers. However, authorities have stressed that due process will be followed as the matter progresses through military judicial mechanisms.