Nigeria’s military has confirmed that a group of serving officers accused of attempting to unseat the country’s civilian leadership will be prosecuted, following the completion of an internal investigation into their activities.
The Defense Headquarters said Monday that a special panel set up to examine allegations against the officers concluded its work and found evidence of a plot targeting President Bola Tinubu’s government. The case will now move to a military judicial process.
The controversy dates back to October, when at least 16 officers were taken into custody for what the military initially described as “acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.” Their arrest, coupled with reports circulating at the time of a foiled coup, heightened anxiety in a region already unsettled by repeated military takeovers.
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According to military spokesman Samaila Uba, the inquiry went beyond disciplinary breaches and uncovered conduct amounting to an attempt to overthrow the government.
“The findings have identified a number of the officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government which is inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” Uba said.
He added that those deemed culpable will be brought before a military judicial panel and tried under established military procedures.
Authorities did not specify how many of the detained officers will ultimately be charged, nor did they release their identities. Uba said additional steps were being implemented to safeguard discipline, order and operational effectiveness within the armed forces.
The case comes at a time of growing political instability across West and Central Africa, where coups and attempted coups have increased in recent years, including in Benin and Guinea-Bissau late last year. Analysts say such takeovers are often linked to disputed elections, constitutional tensions, rising insecurity and youth frustration.
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Nigeria itself has a long history of military intervention in politics, with several coups between 1966 and 1993. In recent months, public unease has grown as economic pressures intensify, driven in part by government austerity measures that have added to the cost of living crisis, the AP reported.
