The Minister of Defence Christopher Musa has said that he was among the targets of the foiled alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Speaking on Channels Television on Sunday, Minister Musa said the plotters planned to arrest him and shoot him if he resisted.
“I was also a target. I am sure you know. I was supposed to be arrested and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot,” he said.
Musa, who was chief of defence staff at the time the plot was allegedly being hatched, said those behind the plan were aware of the consequences of attempting a coup.
“Anybody who goes into a coup knows the consequences. If you succeed, good. If you don’t, whatever the consequences are, you are ready for them,” he stated.
The defence minister said the plot involved serving military officers, security personnel and civilians who planned to overthrow the government. He disclosed that several suspects were already in custody, while others were still at large and being tracked with the help of Interpol.
According to him, over a dozen serving officers have been arrested, while some civilians linked to the plot have fled the country.
Musa described the alleged plotters as “unserious individuals” and questioned their decision to attempt to seize power by force.
“But again, these guys were just a bunch of very unserious individuals. If you look at the calibre of persons, I don’t know what got into their heads to think they could take on the armed forces like that,” he said.
He added that even if the plot had not been uncovered early, Nigerians would have resisted it.
“Even Nigerians would have fought them. Nigerians have fought against military rule for quite some time. For them to wake up one morning and think they can do that in Nigeria, I think they need to reset their brain,” he said.
The minister said intelligence agencies uncovered secret meetings and communications among serving and retired officers, with alleged civilian support.
He said investigations were carried out jointly by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Department of State Services (DSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and other security bodies.
“Things were being monitored until we were sure. We moved in quietly because we did not want any innocent person to be indicted,” Musa said.
He also defended the military’s initial denial of reports of a coup plot, saying the approach was meant to prevent panic while investigations were ongoing.
“I was the one who inaugurated the board. I made sure they carried out a thorough investigation. It was holistic and painstaking,” he said.
Musa said it was difficult to successfully carry out a coup in present-day Nigeria, adding that some young officers involved did not realise they were being used.
“They probably thought they were in some other country, not Nigeria. It is difficult to execute something like that today,” he said, adding that security gaps identified during investigations had been addressed.
On claims of ethnic motives behind the plot, Musa said the leader of the group may have recruited officers around him rather than acting along ethnic lines.
“I think he just met people around him. The military is like a family. You work with people around you,” he said.
The defence minister also confirmed that civilians linked to the plot were still on the run.
“The said civilians are still at large. Interpol is already contacted. We will get them. It is a matter of time,” he stated.
The alleged coup plot came to public attention after the military confirmed on January 26 that there was an attempt to remove President Tinubu from office.
The military said the plan, uncovered in late September 2025 through joint intelligence, included plans to assassinate the president, Vice-President Kashim Shettima and other top officials and to arrest senior military leaders.
Earlier reports had linked the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary parade in October 2025 to the alleged plot, though the Defence Headquarters initially denied any connection.
Meanwhile, Musa said Nigeria’s defence partnership with Türkiye would not affect its relationship with the United States, stressing that the country operates a non-aligned foreign policy.
“Nigeria is a non-aligned nation. We can partner with everybody once you are friendly to us,” he said.
He disclosed that military equipment from Türkiye would begin arriving soon following recently signed defence agreements, which he said also covered training, education and defence industry cooperation.
On his political future, Christopher Musa said he was considering joining the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“I’ve not transitioned yet. I’m in transition. Not yet, but I think I will be,” he said.
