ABUJA, Nigeria — Suspects accused of plotting to overthrow Nigerian President Bola Tinubu are now facing prosecution, Defence Minister Christopher Musa said, bringing a closely watched national security investigation into the courts nearly a year after authorities uncovered the alleged conspiracy.
Musa, a retired army general and former chief of defence staff, said investigators had completed their work and the cases were now before judicial authorities. “The coup was genuine, and they truly intended to carry it out,” he said during an interview on Channels Television’s “Politics Today.”
The allegations have not been proven in court, and the defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence. Six people, including retired military officers and a police inspector, are standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on 13 charges. They have pleaded not guilty.
The federal government has listed 30 witnesses in the civilian proceedings. Prosecutors allege offenses including treason, terrorism financing, money laundering and failure to disclose information about the alleged conspiracy.
Separately, 36 serving military personnel are facing a General Court Martial, Nigeria’s military tribunal, over allegations of mutiny and involvement in a plan to remove the elected government. The military proceedings began in Abuja in April.
Musa said investigators concluded that financial interests, rather than a clearly defined political ideology, were a significant motivation for some of the alleged plotters. He suggested they may have been influenced by memories of an earlier era when military officers who seized power went on to occupy senior government positions.
Authorities first detained military officers and other suspects after uncovering the alleged plot in September 2025. The investigation later widened to include serving and retired military personnel, civilians and others accused of roles ranging from financing and reconnaissance to logistical support.
The allegations carry particular weight in Nigeria, where military coups shaped national politics for decades. The country experienced its first military takeover in January 1966 and went through repeated periods of army rule before returning to civilian government in 1999. Nigeria has maintained uninterrupted democratic government since then.
The case also comes amid continuing concern about military intervention in West African politics. Mali, Burkina Faso and neighboring Niger have all experienced military takeovers in recent years, challenging regional efforts to defend constitutional government and increasing international scrutiny of political instability across the Sahel.
Musa has argued that the alleged Nigerian plot never had a realistic prospect of succeeding, previously describing it as a misguided effort that would have faced resistance from both the armed forces and the wider population. He has also said those accused would be allowed to defend themselves as the legal process proceeds.
The courts will now determine whether prosecutors can prove the allegations against those charged. For Tinubu’s government, the proceedings represent a major test of its handling of an alleged threat to constitutional rule while ensuring that defendants receive the due process guaranteed under Nigerian law.
