Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), has revealed that he was listed as a target by the military officers accused of plotting to overthrow, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government and that the conspirators planned to shoot him if he resisted arrest.

General Musa made the disclosure on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, just days after the military authority announced that 16 officers arrested in October 2025 will face trial over an alleged coup attempt.

According to Musa, he became aware that the plotters included his name among those they intended to detain forcefully. “I was also a target. I was supposed to be arrested, and If I refused, I was supposed to be shot”, he said.

The arrests in October were initially described by the Defence headquarters (DHQ) as relating to “acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations”. However, on late January, the DHQ publicly confirmed that further investigations linked the detained officers to broader conspiracy to overthrow the federal government.

Military authorities say the plot was uncovered through joint intelligence operations and involved plans not only to seize power but also to target top government figures.

The Director of Defence Information, Major-General Samaila Uba, has stated that those who are found to have cases to answer will be arraigned before a military judicial panel in accordance with the Armed Forces Act, with due process upheld throughout.