The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has said suspects arrested in connection with the alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu will be released if investigations show that they have no case to answer.
According to The Punch, Musa made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, explaining why some of those arrested had yet to face prosecution.
“So, if you don’t have any case, after the investigation, they’ll be released. Those that have serious issues are the ones that are going…” he said.
According to the minister, security agencies are taking their time with the investigation to prevent innocent people from being wrongly accused. He said only those found to have played key roles in the alleged plot would be prosecuted.
“We want to take time to make sure that anybody that is freed doesn’t deserve to be punished. All those ones that will go for prosecution should be the ones that are actually the main actors,” Musa said.
He explained that the Department of State Services and the National Intelligence Agency were still conducting investigations into the matter, while some suspects had already been arraigned before the courts.
“I think they’ve been investigated. They’ve taken them to court, so it’s still with the courts. It’s not with us; it’s still with the courts,” he said.
Musa maintained that the alleged coup plot was genuine, saying those behind it had intended to carry it out. He described the alleged plotters as “a bunch of misguided individuals”.
When asked whether the alleged plan was politically motivated, the minister said he did not think so.
“No. I think the intent of the plotters is they just probably reminisce about the past military regimes, how they became governors and became ministers and all this, and they felt, ‘Man, it’s been a long time. Maybe it’s time for us to also be able to benefit from that,’” he said.
He added that some suspects were still at large, stressing that authorities were exercising caution to ensure that people who had no involvement were not wrongly implicated.
The alleged coup plot came to public attention in October 2025 after the Defence Headquarters announced the arrest of 16 senior military officers over alleged acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.
The military subsequently linked the arrests to an alleged plan to overthrow the Tinubu administration.
An interim investigation report later alleged that a secret network of military officers, reportedly coordinated by an Army colonel, had begun preliminary preparations for the coup.
The report said the alleged activities included surveillance of key national facilities, including the Presidential Villa, the Armed Forces Complex, Niger Barracks in Abuja and major international airports.
The case later moved beyond the military investigation, with the Federal Government filing a 13-count charge against six people: retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni and Islamic cleric Abdulkadir Sani.
Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, was also named as being at large.
The six defendants pleaded not guilty to allegations including treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security information and money laundering connected to alleged terrorism financing.
A Federal High Court in Abuja subsequently ordered that the case be heard on an accelerated basis.
Separately, serving military officers accused of involvement in the alleged plot are facing proceedings before a General Court Martial.
A total of 36 people were listed in the military case, including Brigadier General M.A. Sadiq and Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji.
Musa urged Nigerians not to allow the alleged coup plot to threaten the country’s democratic system.
He called for collective efforts to address Nigeria’s challenges through constitutional and democratic processes.
