Suspects arrested over the alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu will be released if investigations find no evidence against them, Defence Minister Christopher Musa has said.
Musa made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, saying security agencies were taking their time to ensure innocent people were not wrongly implicated.
The minister said only suspects found to have played significant roles in the alleged plot would proceed to 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,” Musa said.
He explained that the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) were still investigating the case, while some suspects had already been charged before the courts.
Musa said the authorities were deliberately being cautious because they wanted to distinguish between individuals allegedly involved in the plot and those who may have been wrongly linked to it.
“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,” he said.
The Defence Minister maintained that the alleged coup plot was genuine, describing those allegedly involved as “a bunch of misguided individuals.” He rejected claims that the case was politically motivated, suggesting instead that some of those involved may have been driven by nostalgia for previous military regimes.
He added that security agencies were still searching for some suspects connected to the investigation.
The alleged coup plot became public in October 2025 after the Defence Headquarters announced the arrest of 16 senior military officers over alleged indiscipline and breaches of service regulations. The military later linked the arrests to an alleged plan to overthrow the Tinubu administration.
An interim investigation report alleged that some military officers had begun preparations for the plot, including surveillance of strategic locations such as the Presidential Villa, Armed Forces Complex, Niger Barracks in Abuja and major airports.
The Federal Government later filed charges against six individuals, including retired military officers, over allegations including treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security information and terrorism financing. The defendants pleaded not guilty, while serving military officers accused of involvement are facing proceedings before a General Court Martial.
