Christopher Musa Warns Against Coup Attempt, Says Democracy Must Stand

Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa has issued a stern warning to anyone contemplating a coup against Nigeria’s democratic government, declaring that Nigerians themselves would resist and defeat any attempt to overthrow constitutional rule.

Musa made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television on Friday while reacting to the ongoing prosecution of military officers, police personnel and civilians accused of involvement in an alleged plot to topple President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

The minister, who served as Chief of Defence Staff during the period the alleged plot was uncovered, described those linked to the conspiracy as “a bunch of confused individuals.”

According to him, the alleged coup attempt recklessly exposed junior officers to a dangerous adventure that could have permanently ruined their careers and lives.

“What we are trying to do now is to show the junior ones that coup doesn’t pay anything. Democracy is far better than any military regime,” Musa said.

“I just looked at the people that were involved, and I shook my head because they are just a bunch of confused individuals that exposed junior officers that didn’t know their left from their right and put them into this mess.”

The minister disclosed that the suspects are currently being allowed to defend themselves through legal processes, stressing that due process was followed after the alleged plot was discovered.

He explained that he was personally involved in reporting the matter, identifying suspects and supervising aspects of the investigation before prosecution commenced.

Musa maintained that there was no justification for any military officer to contemplate overthrowing the government, insisting that the armed forces have continued to receive strong support from the Tinubu administration.

“It’s quite unfortunate what they did. They had no reason to do that. The country was going very well, the armed forces are being taken care of quite very well,” he said.

“We’ve never had issues with our salaries. Efforts have been made to even increase our allowances. Our troops are doing quite very well. We’re getting more equipment to fight.”

The defence minister stressed that Nigerians have become more committed to democratic governance and would not tolerate any attempt to return the country to military rule.

“Anybody who is thinking of planning a coup is just wasting their time,” he stated.

“Even the civilians in Nigeria will have taken them down.”

The alleged coup plot first gained national attention after the Federal Government cancelled the military parade earlier scheduled for Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary celebration on October 1, 2025.

Subsequent reports linked the cancellation to security concerns surrounding an alleged attempt to destabilise the government.

In January 2026, the Defence Headquarters officially confirmed that there had been a plot to overthrow the Tinubu administration.

Military officers, police personnel and civilians accused of involvement are currently facing prosecution.