- Safiu Kehinde
Wives and family members of the military officers detained over an alleged coup plot have on Friday pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to grant them access to their husbands while demanding open trial for the hearing of their case.
The women and relatives of the soldiers made the plea during a press briefing in Abuja.
NPO Reported that the former Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, had in October 4, 2025, announced the arrest of 16 officers for breaches of military regulations and acts of indiscipline.
Preliminary investigation that the officers coordinated by an Army colonel had begun planned to embark on a military coup on the 25th of October with senior government officials, including Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, allegedly target.
Those reported to be in custody include Brig Gen M. A. Sadiq, Col M. A. Maaji, Lt Col S. Bappah, Lt Col A. A. Hayatu, Lt Col P. Dangnap, Lt Col M. Almakura, Maj A. J. Ibrahim, and Maj M. M. Jiddah.
Others include Maj M. A. Usman, Maj D. Yusuf, Capt I. Bello, Capt A. A. Yusuf, Lt S. S. Felix, Lt Cdr D. B. Abdullahi, Sqn Ldr S. B. Adamu and Maj I. Dauda.
Addressing newsmen on Friday, the wives of the military who were accompained by human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju and the 2023 African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, lamented that the officers had been held for more than 160 days without trial or contact with their relatives.
According to reports, the group comprised of over 20 wives of the detained officers and their children, including a two-month-old baby.
They include Firdaus Usman, Farida Lawal, Hauwa Aliu, Aisha Sadiq, Hassana Salihu, Fatima Muhammad, Zahra Abba, Khadija A. Hayatu, Helen Sunday, Memuna Bashiru, Aisha Ibrahim and two-month-old Ahmad Musajida.
Speaking on behalf of the relatives, Memuna Basir said the continued detention had plunged their households into uncertainty and anguish.
“We stand before you as families, wives, mothers, and relatives, whose husbands and brothers have been in detention for over 160 days without being brought before an open court of law. For more than five months, our families have lived with uncertainty, fear, and unanswered questions.
“Today, we are here for one simple reason: to ask that justice be done openly and in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. These past months have been deeply painful for our families,” she said.
Bashir recounted the ordeal of the military officers’ families who she claimed have been left in the dark concerning the fate of their husbands.
“We have watched helplessly as narratives are presented to the public, subjecting our husbands to a media trial. At the same time, some of us have faced intimidation from the very men in uniform who swore to protect Nigerians.
“Our husbands served this country faithfully on the frontlines, risking their lives in defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Today, their families are left with fear, uncertainty, and unanswered questions. We speak today not with anger, but with the heavy hearts of wives and mothers,” she said.
With the investigations by the military reportedly concluded, Bashir called for the conduct of the trial in an open court for transparency purpose.
“Mr. President, the military publicly stated over six weeks ago that investigations had been concluded. If that is the case, justice must now move forward.
“We respectfully request that the trials commence immediately in an open court of law visible to all Nigerians.
“We do not want secret proceedings or a media trial. If our husbands are guilty, let it be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. But if they are innocent, justice demands that they be set free,” she pleaded.
The woman further appealed directly to the President and the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, urging them to intervene in the matter.
She held that the families are not seeking favours but demanding adherence to constitutional rights.
“We appeal to Mr President, Bola Tinubu, a father and grandfather, and to Her Excellency the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, a mother, grandmother and revered pastor, as leaders of this nation at this moment in time, to please look upon our situation with compassion, wisdom, courage and justice. We respectfully beseech you to examine and be receptive to all the facts of this highly sensitive case with an open mind.
“We ask only for what the 1999 Constitution guarantees every Nigerian: that our husbands be treated as innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law. The allegations against them must not be used as a tool or a scapegoat. We want due process, nothing more and nothing less,” she said.
They also appealed to the military authorities to allow them see their husbands.
“We respectfully ask for compassion and transparency. Grant us access to our husbands. Let us see them and know they are safe and alive”, she begged.
The families also called on civil society organisations, religious leaders, the legal community and the international community to monitor the case closely.
“We are not asking for favours or shortcuts. We are asking for our constitutional rights, the truth, and the safe return of our husbands. If there is evidence, bring them before a court of law. If there is none, let them go free,” she said.
Also speaking at the briefing, Adeyanju said the continued detention of the officers without access to their families or legal representatives violated fundamental rights.
The human rights lawyer held that he decided to support the families of the officers in a bid to get answers to issues surrounding their alleged involvement in the coup plot.
“The reason why we gathered is because of two major salient issues. First, since the arrest of these officers, members of their family have not been allowed to have access to them and they have not been allowed to have access to legal representation, which is a clear foundation of Section 35, Article 5 of the African Charter and Article 9 of the Civil and Political Rights Principles.
“This is the reason we have decided to identify with members of the family and also the issues surrounding the so-called coup. There are a lot of loopholes and questions that are demanding for answers. This is the reason we have gathered here in solidarity today,” he said.
According to reports, Adeyanju warned that allegations of coup plots had historically been used against prominent political figures in Nigeria, urging authorities to exercise caution in handling the current case involving detained military officers.
Also speaking, Sowore said the families deserved justice and transparency.
“I want to encourage members of the distressed families of the so-called alleged coup d’etat that we are here to ensure that justice is done, no matter what it will take,
“I have experienced many instances where people are accused of plotting coups they never participated in. None of these things often turned out not to be true, but this country has lost too many lives,” he said.
Holding a two-month-old baby during the briefing, Sowore said the child had not seen his detained father since birth.
“By the way, I have a child here in my arms who hasn’t seen his father (since he was born). He’s only two months old. Can you imagine that? He hasn’t seen the father, who’s been detained for five months. He’s got to have his father back. You can see that he is also in distress”, he said.
Sowore insisted that even if the allegations were true, the suspects deserved a fair and transparent trial.
“We shouldn’t live in a country where anything under a democratic society is done in secrecy. Even if it is true that these men committed these offences, they have a right to be given an open, transparent and fair trial in court.
“We must therefore allow their families to speak with them and prepare lawyers for their trial. That is how it is done all over the world. An allegation of a coup plot does not translate to abuse. That’s our position,” he added.
Sowore however issued an ultimatum to the government to allow the detained officers see their families.
He said, “That is why the government of Bola Tinubu should not be afraid to make this open to all. We are giving them an ultimatum to let these arrested individuals, about 120 of them, be allowed to visit their families, see their lawyers, and be presented for trial if there are genuine allegations against them.
“What we have gathered from their families, as we’ve spoken to so many of them, is that there’s no evidence anywhere. Just some high-level officials who are trying to buy the loyalty of the president and create what we call the ‘fear factor.’ That’s how they control people in power, and claiming that these guys committed an offence of treason.” He added.