DHQ Says 16 Officers Will Face Military Trial Over Alleged Coup Plot

The Nigerian Armed Forces have finished investigating 16 officers who were detained for indiscipline and violations of service rules, and several of them will appear before military judicial panels for trial.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja.

Uba recalled that the Defence Headquarters had announced the arrest of the officers in October 2025, adding that investigations had now been completed in accordance with established military procedures and extant regulations.

He said the probe examined the circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel and identified officers with cases to answer.

The defence spokesman said some of the allegations against the officers bordered on plotting to overthrow the government, describing such conduct as incompatible with the ethics, values and professional standards of the Armed Forces.

He said officers found culpable during the investigation would be arraigned before appropriate military judicial panels.

Uba stressed that the actions being taken were purely disciplinary and part of internal institutional mechanisms aimed at preserving discipline, cohesion and operational effectiveness within the military.

He reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ commitment to professionalism, loyalty and respect for constitutional authority.

The defence spokesman assured the public that due process and fairness would be strictly observed throughout the trial process.

The statement partly read, “The Defence Headquarters issued a press statement in October 2025 regarding the arrest of sixteen officers over acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to inform the general public that investigations into the matter have been concluded and the report forwarded to appropriate superior authority in line with extant regulations.

“The comprehensive investigation process, conducted in accordance with established military procedures, has carefully examined all circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel.

“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 AFN.”