NIGERIANS have taken to social media to express their opinions on the alleged foiled putsch against President Bola Tinubu.
Sahara Reporters, an online news medium, had on Saturday, October 18, claimed that 16 officers recently arrested and detained by the Nigerian Armed Forces planned to topple Tinubu’s government.
Another report by Premium Times also claimed that top intelligence sources provided insights into how the coup was to be hatched before the officers plotting it were apprehended.
The development reportedly created tension within the government, prompting the presidency to cancel the National Independence Day parade usually held on October 1.
The reports also alleged that key government officials, namely Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, were targeted for assassination.
Reports on the alleged coup stemmed from the arrest of 16 military officers, including a brigadier general, by the military’s hierarchy over “indiscipline and breach of service regulations.”
In a statement on October 4, the Defence Headquarters explained that the officers were arrested during a routine military exercise for “indiscipline and breach of service regulations,” and not for political reasons.
The statement, signed by the Director of Defence Information, Tukur Gusau, a brigadier general, said investigations revealed that the officers’ grievances were linked to “perceived career stagnation” and repeated failure in promotion examinations. It added that some of the apprehended personnel were already facing disciplinary actions for various offences.
“Their conduct was deemed incompatible with the standards of military service. Upon completion of investigations, indicted officers will face the full military disciplinary process,” the statement read.
The military also stressed that the action was purely disciplinary and part of ongoing efforts to preserve order and professionalism within the ranks.
“The Armed Forces will not tolerate behaviour that undermines the integrity of the institution or threatens its constitutional role under democratic authority,” the statement added.
The Defence Headquarters reaffirmed its commitment to constitutional governance and reiterated that the Nigerian Armed Forces remained professional, loyal, and fully dedicated to protecting the nation’s democracy.
Reacting to an inquiry by The ICIR on Saturday, October 18, on the coup report, Gusau said the Armed Forces’ earlier statement never said the officers were arrested over a coup plot.
“We issued a press release on this weeks ago, and we never mentioned officers were arrested for a coup,” Gusau told The ICIR.
The DHQ also refuted claims that the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day events was linked to the alleged coup attempt.
Nigerians react
Meanwhile, Nigerians have expressed mixed reactions to the reports. While some described the claims as political propaganda and questioned the timing of the arrests, others called for transparency in the investigation.
@Stazingar wrote on X: Every single coup started as a hoax. During the 1985 Palace Coup against PMB, the coupists leaked the intel themselves as part of an elaborate hoax. The public dismissed it as not feasible. PBAT administration should take this seriously, we can’t go back to military regimes.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org