Families of Military Officers Detained Over Alleged Coup Plot Break Silence, Speak
- The families of the 16 Nigerian military officers in detention after being accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu have pleaded for mercy
- The relatives urged the Presidency to temper justice with compassion in the matter, stating that many of the detained officers were breadwinners
- Security experts and retired officers also called for a fair trial for the alleged coup plotters, warning that perceptions of victimisation could be building
Family members of the 16 detained military officers accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu were reported to have appealed to the authorities for leniency.
Daily Trust reported that the families had reached out to top political and government figures at the seat of power, urging the presidency to temper justice with mercy in the matter.
Source: Twitter
It was gathered that the officers, who had been in detention since October 2025, were awaiting court-martial after the military high command declared them guilty of the offence.
Reports indicated that the officers, ranging from the rank of Captain to Brigadier-General, were arrested by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in October last year for allegedly attempting to topple Tinubu’s government.
Alleged coup plot: Families beg for mercy
In an exclusive interview, a relative of one of the detained majors explained that the families were exploring political solutions to resolve the matter, saying:
“We know the offence is grave considering the military laws and laws of the land, but these people are our loved ones, we can’t afford to lose them now. In fact, they are breadwinners to their respective families.
"We want to use this medium to appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to temper justice with mercy.
"He is our father; he is a father of the nation. We beg him to show mercy to them. We are not saying they shouldn’t be punished, but we don’t want their death now."
Another family member, who spoke anonymously, expressed outrage over the detention of their sons, saying:
"Initially, we thought they were detained unjustly, but with what we are hearing, all we need now is to appeal to the Nigerian people. Dear president, forgive our sons; dear Nigerians, forgive them.
"If not for anything, the children of some of them are still young. Please forgive us. We believe they must have learnt their lessons."
Alleged coup: Security expert demands fair trial
Security expert Abdullahi Garba was reported to have called for an open and fair trial of the detained officers.
He warned that failure to conduct a transparent process could be seen as victimisation, especially as most of the officers hailed from one part of the country.
Meanwhile, retired Major Bashir Galma, who took part in the 1983 coup, described plotting any takeover as a 'risky venture' and recalled:
“It is a risky venture. There is no job that doesn’t have its occupational hazards. We were lucky. We did it, and it went through. That was December 31, 1983.
“We are the people who partook in the takeover machine of that government in Kaduna. I was an army captain then.
“It was on a Friday night - December 30 at 12 midnight - which was supposed to be December 31, my birthday - we all got all ready and were assigned to places of responsibility.
“My own responsibility was to take over broadcasting houses and telecommunication networks in Kaduna.”
Source: Facebook
Coup plot: 16 officers facing capital punishment
Legit.ng earlier reported that no fewer than 16 military officers indicted for plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu were reported to be facing capital punishment.
The military high command stated at the time that the officers, who had been in detention since October 2025, had been found guilty of planning to topple the government.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
