The Defence Headquarters has denied reports making the rounds, alleging that some senior military officers were detained over a planned coup to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
The Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, while reacting to an inquiry by The ICIR on Saturday, October 18, described the claim as false. He said the statement issued by the Armed Forces over the arrest of some officers weeks ago never mentioned that the officers were being investigated for a coup plot.
The clarification followed an online report alleging that sixteen senior officers were being held by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) for planning to overthrow the Tinubu-led government.
“We issued a press release on this weeks ago and we never mentioned officers were arrested for a coup,” Gusau told The ICIR.
The report also claimed that the alleged plot led to the cancellation of Nigeria’s Independence Day parade on October 1.In its earlier statement on October 4, the Defence Headquarters explained that the officers were arrested during a routine military exercise for “indiscipline and breach of service regulations,” not for political reasons.
The statement, signed by Gusau, said investigations revealed that the officers’ grievances were linked to “perceived career stagnation” and repeated failure in promotion examinations. It added that some of the apprehended personnel were already facing disciplinary actions for various offences.
“Their conduct was deemed incompatible with the standards of military service. Upon completion of investigations, indicted officers will face the full military disciplinary process,” the statement read.
The military also stressed that the action was purely disciplinary and part of ongoing efforts to preserve order and professionalism within the ranks. “The Armed Forces will not tolerate behaviour that undermines the integrity of the institution or threatens its constitutional role under democratic authority,” the statement added.
The Defence Headquarters reaffirmed its commitment to constitutional governance and reiterated that the Nigerian Armed Forces remained professional, loyal, and fully dedicated to protecting the nation’s democracy.
