The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has said the military officers arrested over an alleged coup plot must have made up their minds about the consequences of their actions, even as he assured that they would receive a fair trial.

Musa spoke on the matter during an interview with TRT World, a Turkish news network, where he also outlined the government’s plans to support the families of the accused.

The 16 officers, including a brigadier general and a colonel, were arrested in October 2025. The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) initially described their detention as a result of acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.

However, on January 26, the DHQ publicly confirmed that the officers were linked to a foiled plot to oust President Bola Tinubu.

According to the military, the conspiracy was uncovered in late September 2025 following joint intelligence operations involving the army, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

The alleged plot reportedly included plans to assassinate President Tinubu, Vice‑President Kashim Shettima and other senior government officials, as well as to detain senior military leaders.

Musa said the accused officers would have access to legal counsel of their choice and would be treated fairly throughout the judicial process.

“They must have made up their minds when they decided to do this and must have considered their families,” he said.

He reiterated that, despite the gravity of the allegations, due process would be respected.

Musa added, “But even at that, the government is ensuring that their families are treated fairly.

“Their family members are not left alone. The government is making sure that their wives and children are looked after.”

The defence minister stressed that the accused were aware of the potential consequences of their actions.

“The perpetrators already know the repercussions of their action, and I’m sure they are ready to face the wrath,” he said.

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A Nigerian Navy officer, Adam Muhammad Yerima, has been accused of breaching aviation security protocols after allegedly bypassing mandatory passenger screening and attempting to board a commercial flight with a firearm at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

According to SaharaReporters, the officer, a lieutenant, accessed the boarding terminal through the military wing of the airport, thereby avoiding standard civilian security screening procedures, before attempting to board a ValueJet Airlines flight.

Sources said the officer was armed with a pistol, an item prohibited for passengers on commercial flights under regulations of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), unless properly declared and handled through approved security channels.

Multiple aviation sources familiar with the incident said airline security officials detected the breach and stopped the officer from boarding the aircraft with the weapon.

The officials reportedly insisted that he comply with civil aviation rules applicable to all passengers, including uniformed personnel travelling on commercial flights.

After initial resistance, the officer was said to have submitted to screening and firearm declaration procedures and was later allowed to board the flight.

However, the matter reportedly escalated after the incident.

Sources disclosed that the Nigerian military subsequently wrote an official letter to ValueJet Airlines, accusing the airline of disrespecting military personnel and demanding a formal apology for stopping the officer from boarding with his firearm.

According to insiders, Lieutenant Yerima completely bypassed designated civilian checkpoints by entering the terminal through the restricted military wing, a move said to be in violation of aviation safety rules.

Under existing regulations, all passengers -regardless of status – must undergo screening, and firearms must be formally declared and processed under strict security protocols.

Industry insiders said the incident reflects a broader pattern at major Nigerian airports, where some military personnel allegedly refuse to submit to standard boarding procedures.

A senior ValueJet official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told SaharaReporters that airline staff are frequently intimidated when they insist on compliance.

“This is a recurring issue. Some military personnel refuse to follow boarding protocols and sometimes threaten airline officials when asked to comply,” the source said.

The official added that airlines are not entirely blameless, admitting that some carriers occasionally facilitate such breaches to avoid confrontation.

“They send protocol officers to collect boarding passes and move straight from the military wing to the aircraft, bypassing all checks,” the source said.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has also come under criticism for allegedly failing to address repeated complaints about such security breaches.

Sources said reports submitted to FAAN over similar incidents often go unanswered, with the authority accused of siding with military officers rather than enforcing aviation safety regulations.

In a recent incident at Port Harcourt International Airport, airline staff reportedly reported military personnel for violating boarding protocols, but FAAN allegedly reprimanded the airline instead, while the officers faced no sanctions.

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Adewole Adebayo, leader of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and its presidential flagbearer in the 2023 general election, has stressed that Nigeria’s long-term progress lies in nurturing safe, productive and self-sustaining communities at the grassroots.

Adebayo spoke in Numan, Adamawa State, at a reception organised in his honour following the conferment of a traditional title on him by the Bachama kingdom.

While addressing traditional rulers, community leaders and residents, he described the Bachama people as a vital component of the Nigerian project, noting that the destiny of the nation is inseparable from the wellbeing of its local communities.

“The development of this land is the development of Nigeria because Nigeria is not just an idea; it is the land and the people,” he said.

He portrayed Numan and its environs as a rich heritage placed in the care of its people, urging citizens to take collective responsibility for nurturing the land, ensuring fair access to resources and raising families in conditions of safety and dignity.

The SDP leader also raised concerns about what he termed the over-centralisation of governance, arguing that efforts to drive national development primarily from Lagos in the past and later from Abuja have yielded limited success.

“The only time Nigeria will truly work is when we build it from the communities,” he said, adding that the true measure of national strength should be seen in the safety of homes, the quality of education and the freedom of young people to grow without fear.

According to him, meaningful development must allow families to farm, rear livestock, educate their children and participate actively in the economy within their local environments.

Drawing parallels with countries such as the United States, Germany and Russia, Adebayo said enduring national success is built by citizens who flourish in their towns and villages, supported by access to electricity, water, security and economic opportunities.

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