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| General Christopher Gwabin Musa, Nigeria's Minister of Defence |
What Coup Plotters Planned for General Musa and Others
In a
startling revelation, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin
Musa, has confirmed that he was among the individuals marked for arrest or
assassination in the foiled coup plot uncovered by security agencies in late
2025.
Speaking during a televised interview on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics, Musa disclosed that intelligence reports showed he was specifically listed as a target. According to him, the plotters intended to arrest him, and if he resisted, he was to be shot.
The coup
plan, as reported by PREMIUM TIMES in October 2025, was extensive and deadly.
It involved coordinated moves to detain or eliminate key figures in the
political and security establishment. Among those targeted were President Bola
Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and
other top officials.
Musa, who
was then Chief of Defence Staff, was slated for arrest, while lethal force was
to be used against anyone who resisted.
General
Musa described the plot as a grave threat to Nigeria’s national security and
constitutional order. He emphasized that the conspirators underestimated both
the resilience of the Nigerian state and the will of its citizens.
He
recalled how Nigerians had historically resisted military rule, insisting that
such reckless actions would not have garnered public support. He dismissed the
coup plotters as “unserious individuals” who failed to grasp the risks and
consequences of their actions.
The
background to the failed coup reveals that sixteen officers were arrested in
September 2025. Initially, military authorities claimed the arrests were due to
indiscipline and breaches of service regulations. However, subsequent
investigations linked the plot to grievances over career stagnation and failures
in promotion examinations.
Musa
reiterated this point, noting that the coup leader, Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji,
was disgruntled because he had not been promoted, having failed to meet the
required marks.
Following
the attempted coup, President Tinubu dismissed several service chiefs,
including Musa, though he retained Olufemi Oluyede and Emmanuel Undiandeye.
Oluyede was promoted to Chief of Defence Staff, replacing Musa, while
Undiandeye continued as Chief of Defence Intelligence. Later, amid heightened
tensions and international concerns, Musa was recalled and appointed Minister
of Defence after Muhammed Badaru stepped down due to health reasons.
On 26
January 2026, the military officially admitted that the coup plot was genuine.
Authorities confirmed that forty suspects had been arrested and would face
trial.
Musa has
since urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and engaged in national affairs,
stressing that the stability of the nation depends on collective responsibility.
His account underscores the seriousness of the threat posed by the coup
plotters and the resilience of Nigeria’s democratic institutions in the face of
such challenges.
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