Africa-Press. Nigeria’s armed forces have announced that several officers will face court-martial proceedings for allegedly planning to overthrow President Bola Tinubu last year, confirming the existence of a plot the government initially denied.
In a statement issued on Monday, Defence Ministry spokesman Major General Samila Aoba said investigations had identified officers facing charges of conspiring against the constitutional order, adding that those found liable would be referred to a competent military court. No date has been set for the trials, while legal experts noted that the maximum penalty could be death if convicted.
In October, the military leadership announced the arrest of 16 officers over what it described as “disciplinary issues”, but government and military sources later confirmed the arrests were linked to an attempted coup. Had the plot succeeded, it would have ended 25 years of civilian rule in Africa’s most populous nation.
After an initial official denial, President Tinubu carried out a sweeping shake-up of the military hierarchy, including the dismissal of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who later returned as Defence Minister. A government official at the time commented that such incidents exposed “intelligence gaps no leadership can tolerate”.
History of coups
Nigeria has experienced multiple military coups since gaining independence from Britain in 1960, spending most of the 20th century under military rule, before transitioning to civilian governance in 1999. Since then, the country has maintained a democratic system despite major political and security challenges.
These developments come as Nigerian forces continue long-running battles against Boko Haram and the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the northeast. Although violence has declined from its peak a decade ago, attacks on military bases persist.
The armed forces also face additional pressure in the northwest, where armed criminal groups known locally as “bandits” operate, and in the southeast against separatist movements. Soldiers have complained of delayed salaries and poor living conditions, while analysts warn of a possible escalation of violence in 2026.
Meanwhile, the United States has intensified military cooperation with Nigeria, carrying out joint strikes against Islamic State “Sahel Province” militants in the northwest, and pledging to expand intelligence sharing to support Nigerian air operations.
