The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has revealed that he was one of the prime targets of the recently foiled coup plot against President Bola Tinubu, disclosing that the conspirators planned to arrest him or shoot him if he resisted.

Musa made the disclosure on Sunday while speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, where he described the suspects behind the failed plot as “very unserious individuals” who grossly underestimated Nigeria’s democratic resilience and military structure.

“I was also a target. I was supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot,” the Defence Minister said.

The former Chief of Defence Staff noted that he played a critical role in helping security agencies uncover and neutralise the plot before it could be executed.

‘Coup Is Impossible in Modern Nigeria’

Musa dismissed the ability of the suspects to successfully overthrow a democratically elected government, insisting that executing a coup in modern-day Nigeria was virtually impossible.

“That was Nigeria of yesterday. It is impossible now,” he said, stressing that both the armed forces and ordinary Nigerians would resist any attempt to return the country to military rule.

He recalled Nigerians’ long history of resistance against military dictatorship, adding that even without the intervention of the armed forces, citizens would have opposed the plot.

“Even Nigerians would have fought them. Nigerians fought military rule for years. For anyone to think they could just wake up and attempt that in Nigeria, something is clearly wrong,” Musa said.

Personal Grievances Behind Plot

According to the Defence Minister, investigations revealed that the plot was largely driven by personal grievances, particularly by a disgruntled colonel who failed to meet the criteria for promotion within the armed forces.

“It started from a colonel who was not promoted because he didn’t meet the marks. Instead of accepting the system, he went around looking for people with one grievance or another to recruit,” Musa explained.

He emphasised that Nigeria’s military promotion process is strictly merit-based, leaving no room for favoritism or compromise.

Most Suspects Arrested

Musa disclosed that most of the individuals involved in the plot had been apprehended, with only “one or two” possibly still at large, assuring Nigerians that security agencies were firmly in control of the situation.

He expressed concern for junior officers allegedly drawn into the plot, describing their involvement as unfortunate.

“My pain is for those young officers who didn’t understand what was going on and were dragged into this mess. Now they have to face the consequences,” he said.

Thorough, Multi-Agency Investigation

The Defence Minister stressed that investigations into the coup plot were conducted meticulously and collaboratively, involving the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Department of State Services (DSS) and other security bodies to avoid implicating innocent officers.

“We wanted a holistic investigation. We didn’t want any innocent person to be indicted,” Musa said.

He added that security agencies acted strictly on verified intelligence, noting that allegations without evidence would not stand in court.

Plot Predated Tinubu’s Inauguration

Musa dismissed claims that the coup attempt was triggered by dissatisfaction with the Tinubu administration, revealing that the plan predated the President’s inauguration.

“These things were planned even before the President took office. They already knew he had won the election,” he said, describing the development as “quite unfortunate.”

He further noted that unlike past coups, which relied on the backing of top military commanders, the failed plot involved low-ranking officers with no strategic influence or access.

“In the past, coups succeeded because the ‘big boys’ were involved. This time, you have none of that. Just low-ranking individuals with no access,” he said.

‘Something Is Fundamentally Wrong’

Musa concluded by condemning any attempt to undermine Nigeria’s democracy, insisting that the era of military takeovers is long gone.

“For anyone to want to truncate democracy in this disposition, there is something fundamentally wrong with them,” he said.