Nigeria: Military officers to face trial over coup plot
January 27, 2026
Nigeria's military said on Monday that several of its officers would stand trial for allegedly plotting a coup against President Bola Tinubu's government last year.
At least 16 officers were arrested in October over what military authorities described as "acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations."
Authorities then launched an investigation into the officers' conduct.
What did the investigation reveal?
The probe revealed a plot to overthrow the government, Nigerian military spokesman Samaila Uba said in a statement Monday.
"The findings have identified a number of the officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government which is inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria," Uba said.
The spokesman added that the officers found culpable would be formally indicted by the appropriate military judicial body.
It was not clear how many of the 16 officers who were arrested will face trial and authorities did not provide their names.
They also didn't give a date for the trials.
The military spokesman said further measures were being taken to ensure order, discipline and effectiveness of the armed forces.
Alleged coup plot raises concerns
When reports of the alleged coup plot emerged last year, the government initially issued strong denials.
Tinubu, however, reshuffled the country's top military brass.
"Normally when such a thing happens, it means there is a gap in intelligence. No leader would accept that," the AFP news agency quoted a senior Nigerian official as saying.
Nigeria has had a history of military takeovers, with multiple coups between 1966 and 1993.
The oil-rich western African nation transitioned to civilian rule in 1999 and has had a democratic government since.
The alleged coup plot raises concerns in a region that has already witnessed a string of coups and attempted coups in recent years.
Late last year, the military seized power in Guinea-Bissau, while there was an attempted coup in Benin.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse