Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (retd), has dismissed the alleged coup plot uncovered late last year as the act of “a bunch of confused junior officers who didn’t know their left from right” and insisted that any attempt to overthrow the democratic government would have been crushed by civilians even if the military had failed to act.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Friday, 29 May 2026, Musa, who chaired the investigative committee that handled the matter, said the alleged plotters had no reason to attempt a takeover, as the country was “going very well” and the armed forces were being well catered for. “It was just foolhardy for what they were trying to achieve,” he said.
The minister’s remarks come amid the ongoing trial of six defendants before a Federal High Court in Abuja, where the Federal Government has filed a 13‑count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, conspiracy, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money laundering in furtherance of terrorist acts. The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, features retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, serving Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani. A former Bayelsa State governor and ex‑Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, is also named in the charge sheet but remains at large, having left the country shortly before security agencies moved to expose the plot.
The plot was allegedly scheduled to unfold on 1 October 2025, Nigeria’s Independence Day, but the celebratory parade was cancelled at the last minute, and the government remained tight‑lipped about the reason for months. It was only in January 2026 that the military formally admitted that a coup attempt had been thwarted, announcing that 16 unnamed senior military officers would face a court‑martial.
During the Arise TV interview, the defence minister did not hide his disdain for the alleged conspirators. He revealed that he and other senior officers were among those who first identified the coup, reported it, and convened the committee that investigated it. “I just looked at the people that were involved in that, I shook my head because they are just a bunch of confused individuals that exposed very junior officers that didn’t know their left from right, and that put them into this mess,” he said.
Musa emphasised that Nigeria’s armed forces have no reason to consider a return to military rule. “What we are trying to do now is to show the junior ones that a coup doesn’t pay anything, democracy is far, far better than any military regime,” he stated. He added that the military had never had issues with salaries, that efforts were being made to increase allowances, and that troops were receiving more equipment to fight insecurity. “The country was going very well,” he said. “They had no reason to do that.”
He also dismissed the plotters’ chances of success, arguing that even civilians would have risen against them. “Anybody who is thinking of planning a coup, I think he’s just wasting his time. Even the civilians in Nigeria will have taken them down. So, I think it was just foolhardy for them to have tried what they wanted to do.”
Court documents have pointed to Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji as the alleged chief strategist behind the plot. A 50‑year‑old officer from Niger State, Ma’aji spent much of his early career in the oil‑rich Niger Delta, where he developed close ties with Timipre Sylva, then governor of Bayelsa State. According to several newspaper reports, Ma’aji co‑ordinated security for Sylva during the latter’s failed bid for a second term in 2015. Investigators believe Sylva, who served as oil minister under former President Muhammadu Buhari, was a key financier of the alleged plot. He is not known to have supported President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 election.
During the trial, prosecutors have presented dramatic video evidence in which several defendants described their roles in the alleged plot. Retired Captain Victor admitted that he knew about the plot but failed to report it, citing his close relationship with Ma’aji, whose anger over a stalled promotion had boiled over into a desire to “overthrow the system.” Inspector Ibrahim, who was attached to the State House, gave the most revealing testimony, admitting that he received funds and conducted physical reconnaissance around the Presidential Villa, including Aguda House, and that he took photographs of the President’s residence and discussed access routes. The defendants allegedly used coded terms such as “fertilizer” and “farming” to discuss their funding and operational plans.
In contrast, retired Major General Gana, who retired in 2010 as Chief of Defence Logistics, maintained a different stance. He admitted to sharing a copy of an old coup speech and forwarding anti‑government messages via WhatsApp but insisted he had no inkling of a coup. He strongly denied conducting reconnaissance at the Presidential Villa or attempting to raise billions of naira from a former governor to fund the operation.
Meanwhile, Islamic cleric Sheikh Bukar Kashim Goni, one of the civilian defendants, told the court that the ₦10 million allegedly traced to his account was money given to him for prayers and charitable purposes, not for any coup plot. He insisted that his relationship with Ma’aji was purely religious, as the officer sought prayers over personal and career‑related challenges. The prosecution, however, pointed to bank records showing that funds had been transferred to him as far back as March 2023, months before the issues he cited, and that a ₦10 million payment was made in October 2024.
Musa assured the public that the investigation was “very thorough” and that the prosecution was following all due processes. “We’re giving them all the benefits to defend themselves. But the facts on the ground are very, very clear, and I can tell you that we’re following all the processes. Nothing is hidden,” he said. The defence team has challenged the admissibility of the video evidence, arguing that the statements were not made voluntarily. However, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who is presiding over the case, dismissed their initial objections to prevent the screening, noting that a trial‑within‑trial would be conducted to settle the issue of voluntariness.
The court has adjourned the matter for further hearing. If found guilty, the defendants face severe penalties, including life imprisonment for treason and money laundering. The case has cast a spotlight on Nigeria’s long history of military takeovers, though the country has been under civilian rule since 1999. Several other West African nations have experienced coups in recent years, and there has been speculation that Nigeria could be next, driven by economic hardship and accusations of a rigged political system. The Tinubu administration, however, has repeatedly affirmed its commitment to democratic rule, and the defence minister’s latest remarks serve as a blunt warning to anyone considering a similar path.
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