The Defence Headquarters has dismissed reports alleging that a group of senior military officers were arrested over an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Reacting to an inquiry by International Centre for Investigative Reporting (The ICIR) on Saturday, October 18, the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, described the claim as false and misleading.
“We issued a press release on this weeks ago and we never mentioned officers were arrested for a coup,” Gusau told The ICIR.
His clarification followed an online report alleging that sixteen senior officers were being detained by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) for planning to overthrow the Tinubu-led government. The report further claimed that the supposed plot was the reason behind the cancellation of Nigeria’s Independence Day parade on October 1.
In its earlier statement on October 4, the Defence Headquarters clarified that the officers were arrested during a routine military exercise for “indiscipline and breach of service regulations,” and not for political reasons.
The statement, signed by Gusau, explained that investigations revealed the officers’ grievances were tied to “perceived career stagnation” and repeated failures 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 emphasized that the action was strictly disciplinary and part of ongoing efforts to uphold 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,” it added.
The Defence Headquarters reaffirmed its loyalty to constitutional governance and stressed that the Nigerian Armed Forces remain professional, loyal, and fully committed to protecting the nation’s democracy.
