Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed the conclusion of investigations into 16 military officers indicted for an alleged plot to overthrow the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
On January 26, 2026, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, announced that the officers will be formally arraigned before appropriate military judicial panels for a court-martial.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the Director of Defence Information, Major-General Samaila Uba, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
Uba recalled that the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) had, in October 2025, announced the arrest of the officers, noting that the investigations had now been completed in line with established military procedures and extant regulations.
Major-General Uba emphasised that the investigation examined all circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel and identified a number of officers with cases to answer, including allegations bordering on plotting to overthrow the government.
He said such actions were inconsistent with the ethics, values, and professional standards expected of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“Accordingly, officers found to have cases to answer will be formally arraigned before appropriate military judicial panels to face trial in line with the Armed Forces Act and other applicable service regulations,” he said.
The defence spokesman stressed that the measures being taken were purely disciplinary and part of internal institutional mechanisms to preserve discipline, cohesion, and operational effectiveness within the ranks.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces to professionalism, loyalty, and respect for constitutional authority, assuring the public that due process and fairness would be strictly observed throughout the proceedings
Media reports late in September 2025, had indicated that the Nigerian military uncovered a coup plot, which involved at least 16 officers.
At least 14 of the said officers were said to come from the Army while one each came from the Air Force and Navy.
But the military had initially denied the existence of a coup plot, describing the report as “false, malicious and intended to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among the populace.”
The government and the military, in denying the alleged coup plot and the arrests, attributed the arrests to disciplinary issues and breaches of service protocols.
Some sources have suggested that the development led to the cancellation of the Independence Day Parade on October 1.
However, the Defence Headquarters had equally said the arrest of the officers was part of routine internal process aimed at instilling discipline.
Subsequently, the military accepted that there were some acts of misdemeanours that were being investigated.
It was reported in September 2025, that the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) had arrested 16 senior military officers, including a brigadier general, colonel, and several lieutenant colonels and majors, for allegedly planning a coup.
The plot reportedly involved plans to assassinate top government officials, including President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and other key leaders.
The officers were said to have been detained for questioning while investigation continued.
