Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa (retd.), has revealed that he was among those listed for arrest by officers accused of plotting to overthrow Bola Tinubu, adding that the plan was to shoot him if he resisted.
Musa made the disclosure on Sunday during an appearance on Sunday Politics on Channels Television, days after the military announced that 16 officers arrested in October 2025 would face trial over an alleged coup attempt.
The former Chief of Defence Staff said he later became aware that his name appeared on the list of intended targets.
“I was also a target. I was supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot,” Musa said.
Describing the nature of coup attempts, he added that those who engage in such actions are often prepared for the consequences.
“But that’s the job. Anybody who goes into a coup zeroes his mind. If you succeed, good. If you don’t succeed, whatever consequences come, you’re ready for it,” he said.
Musa, however, dismissed the alleged plotters as unserious, questioning their understanding of Nigeria’s security realities.
“I think these guys were just a bunch of very unserious individuals that really don’t know,” he said.
“If you look at the calibre of the individuals, I don’t know what got into their heads to think they could take on the armed forces like that.”
He further stated that public resistance would have made the attempt impossible.
“Even Nigerians would have fought them. Even without the armed forces, Nigerians would have stood against them. Remember, Nigerians have fought against military rule for quite some time,” he added.
The military initially announced in October that 16 officers had been arrested for alleged indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.
However, in a statement released last week, authorities said subsequent investigations linked some of the officers to plans to overthrow the government, describing the actions as contrary to the ethics and professional standards of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The Director of Defence Information, Samaila Uba, a major general, said officers found to have a case to answer would be tried before a military judicial panel in line with the Armed Forces Act and other relevant service regulations.
He said the process was intended to ensure accountability while maintaining fairness and due process.
