The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has debunked reports that there are suspicions of a coup plot in Nigeria and that the Guards Brigade was placed on high alert.
Acting director of defence information Brigadier General Tukur Gusau made this known in a statement on Monday.
The statement read, “The attention of the Defence Headquarters #DefenceInfoNG has been drawn to a malicious and unfounded article published online by SaharaReporters on 25 February 2024 claiming that the Guards Brigade has been put on high alert following unusual movements, leading to suspicion of a coup plot in Nigeria.
“The publication also asserted amongst other things that the suspicion prompted an emergency meeting involving President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of Staff to the President and Commander of the Guards Brigade.
“The Defence Headquarters wishes to categorically state that the allegation is totally false. For the avoidance of doubt, the Guards Brigade has been statutorily assigned the responsibility of protecting the seat of power (The Presidency) and by extension the Federal Capital Territory and its environs. Hence, it is to be noted that the Guards Brigade has always been on high alert in order to effectively execute its assigned tasks.
“It will be recalled that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, had in various fora reiterated the unalloyed commitment of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the protection and sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. Therefore, the Defence Headquarters strongly condemn this unsubstantiated assertion which is just a figment of imagination of the publisher and enjoins members of the public to disregard it.
“Furthermore, the Defence Headquarters calls on relevant security agencies to immediately take appropriate action against the Sahara Reporters for this unpatriotic action. Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters will seek legal redress on the issue which has the ulterior motive of creating unnecessary tension in the country.”
