US EditionNigerian officers to face trial over allegations of a coup against President Bola Tinubu
Sixteen officers face military trial after an investigation revealed a coup plot against President Tinubu, with charges including undermining constitutional authority, the Defence Headquarters said.
- On Monday, January 26, 2026 the Armed Forces of Nigeria said it concluded its investigation and forwarded the report to appropriate authorities after months of DIA questioning.
- On October 4, 2025 Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau described the October arrests as disciplinary, citing indiscipline and perceived career stagnation, while Defence Intelligence Agency investigations later linked some officers to plotting.
- The detained roster shows a Brigadier-General, a Colonel, four Lieutenant Colonels, five Majors, two Captains, a Lieutenant, a Navy Lieutenant Commander, and an Air Force Squadron Leader.
- Those found culpable will be arraigned before military judicial panels under the Armed Forces Act, and legal experts said accused officers could face the death penalty if convicted.
- Regional contagion of coups has meant the alleged plot follows a surge in coups in West and Central Africa, with local fallout including the cancellation of the October 1 Independence Day parade and raids on Timipre Sylva's homes.
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Nigeria army says officers to face trial over coup plot
Nigeria's military said on Monday that several officers arrested last year for misconduct will face trial over allegations that they plotted to overthrow the government, marking the first official acknowledgment of a suspected coup attempt that authorities had previously denied.
The army announced that it would try 16 officers accused of planning a coup d'état in 2025 against the president, recognizing the existence of a plot that the government had initially denied.
Nigeria: Soldiers face trial for alleged Tinubu coup plan
Sixteen officers were first arrested in October, officially on grounds of indiscipline, but security sources told AFP they were being held over a coup attempt. Shortly afterwards, President Tinubu reshuffled the top military brass, removing the then–chief of defence staff, General Christopher Musa.
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