Nigeria's military announced on Monday that it will put seven officers on trial for allegedly plotting to remove President Bola Tinubu from power last year. The government had previously disputed the conspiracy.
The military said in October that "issues of indiscipline" had led to the detention of sixteen officers.
Sources from the Nigerian military and administration said AFP they were detained due to a coup plot, despite official denials.
This would have ended 25 years of democracy in the most populous nation in Africa if it had been successful.Major General Samaila Uba, a spokesman for the Defence Headquarters, stated in a statement on Monday that the Armed Forces of Nigeria would want to notify the public that the inquiry into the situation has been completed."The findings have identified a number of the officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government," he stated.Before the proper military justice tribunal, those who have cases to answer will be properly arraigned and put on trial."The trials' date was not specified. According to legal experts, the cops might be executed if proven guilty.
Tinubu reorganised the nation's top military leadership shortly after refuting the claimed coup plot.
"Normally, when such a thing happens, it means there is a gap in intelligence," a senior administration official told AFP at the time. That would not be acceptable to any leader.
In the shuffle, General Christopher Musa was removed from his position as chief of military staff, although he has since returned as defence minister.The West African nation has had multiple military takeovers throughout its history, and following its independence from Britain, it was ruled by a junta for the majority of the 20th century.
After switching to civilian governance in 1999, it has been governed democratically ever since.When Nigeria's Defence Headquarters released a statement on October 4 regarding the arrest of 16 officers due to alleged cases of indiscipline and perceived career stagnation, the first indications of the affair were made public.
The Nigerian media later reported on a coup attempt that was thwarted.
Strong official denials and a diplomatic crisis involving US President Donald Trump criticising Nigeria for supposedly failing to do more to protect Christians from violence caused news of the alleged scheme to vanish.In the northeast, the Nigerian military is engaged in a protracted conflict with Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram.
Attacks, including lethal assaults on military posts, seem to have no end in sight, despite the fact that the level of violence has decreased since it peaked ten years ago.
While troops have occasionally complained about bad circumstances and underpaid wages, analysts have warned of an increase in violence in 2025.
The military is also overburdened on other fronts, such as battling separatists in the southeast and armed gangs known as "bandits" in the northwest that kidnap for ransom.
Since then, the US has jointly attacked Islamic State Sahel Province fighters in the northwest and promised to share more intelligence to support Nigeria's air operations throughout the north.