The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa, says he was one of the targets of a coup plot and was meant to be shot by the planners.
General Musa spoke on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, days after the military said about sixteen officers arrested last October will face trial over an attempt to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
“I was also a target, I am sure you know,” the minister, who is the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), said during the interview.
“I was supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot,” the Kaduna-born disclosed.
In October, the military arrested “sixteen officers over acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations”.
But last week, authorities said “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.”
“Accordingly, those with cases to answer will be formally arraigned before an appropriate military judicial panel to face trial in accordance with the Armed Forces Act and other applicable service regulations,” the Director, Major General, Samaila Uba, said in a statement.
Several top government officials and other prominent leaders were allegedly penciled to be killed in the coup attempt.
Reports have linked the attempted coup to the cancellation of the 65th Independence Anniversary parade.
A former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva’s house was raided over an alleged link to a coup plot.
According to General Musa, those involved in the coup plot are “unserious individuals”.
“I think these guys were a bunch of unserious individuals. If you look at the calibre of persons (involved in the plot); I don’t know what got into their heads to think they can take on the Armed Forces like that,” the minister wondered.
“What I even said is that even Nigerians would have fought them. Remember, Nigerians have fought against military rule for quite some time. Mr. President has been one of them, so for them to wake up one morning and think they can do that in Nigeria, I think they need to reset their brain.”