Musa says coup plotters planned to shoot him if he resisted arrest

Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s minister of defence, says officers accused of plotting a coup planned to assassinate him if he resisted arrest.
Musa disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television on Sunday, saying he was a prime target of the alleged coup plotters.
The minister, who was the chief of defence staff when the plot was allegedly being hatched, said those behind the failed attempt were aware of the consequences of their actions.
“I was also a target. I was supposed to be arrested and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot,” Musa said.
He described the suspected plotters as unserious individuals, adding that he was surprised they believed they could challenge the Armed Forces.
“Anybody who goes into a coup knows the consequences. If you succeed, fine. If you fail, you face whatever comes with it,” he said.
“These were just a bunch of very unserious individuals. I do not know what got into their heads that they could take on the Armed Forces. Even Nigerians would have resisted them.”
Background
In October 2025, the federal government cancelled the parade scheduled to mark Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary, sparking reports of a possible coup attempt.
The defence headquarters initially dismissed the reports, saying the cancellation was not linked to any plot. It also stated that the arrest of 16 officers at the time was unrelated to an attempt to overthrow the government.
However, on October 31, 2025, TheCable reported that 16 military officers were arrested over the alleged plot, while two others were said to be on the run.
On January 26, the defence headquarters confirmed that there was indeed a plot to remove President Bola Tinubu from office.
According to the military, the plot was uncovered in late September 2025 through joint intelligence involving the army, the Department of State Services, and the Defence Intelligence Agency.
The alleged plan included the assassination of President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and other top government officials, as well as the arrest of senior military leaders.