Nigeria’s military is moving forward with trials for sixteen (16) officers allegedly involved in a coup plot against President Bola Tinubu’s government last year.
The Defence Headquarters announced that investigations have concluded, and officers with cases to answer will face a military judicial panel. The officers, initially arrested for “acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations,” are accused of plotting to overthrow the government, a charge that carries penalties ranging from life imprisonment to the death penalty if convicted.
Nigeria Military spokesman Samaila Uba revealed about the coup attempt in a statement saying: “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,”
The alleged coup plot had been denied by the government, but sources suggest it was linked to grievances over career stagnation and poor working conditions. The military has assured that due process and fairness will be observed throughout the proceedings.
Nigeria as a country had a series of coup during the military regime between 1966 and 1993 seeing a lot of leaders being forcefully removed from office though coup d’etat. The country finally settled down for democratic system of government since 1999.
