For months rumours and secrecy have surrounded last year’s alleged Independence Day coup plot in Nigeria – but with this week’s indictment of six people accused of involvement comes the first details of what is said to have been an elaborate plan to oust President Bola Tinubu.
It was due to take place on 1 October 2025 – the day Nigeria marked the 65th anniversary of its independence from the UK.
But at the very last minute the celebratory parade, to be attended by the president, was cancelled – and the government and military were tight-lipped about why.
It was only in January that the military announced, in a statement short on detail, that 16 unnamed senior military officers were to face a court-martial over an alleged plot – effectively admitting a coup attempt had been thwarted.
Now court documents, filed by state prosecutors at the Federal High Court in the capital, Abuja, have revealed the name of the alleged mastermind and suggest that one of the major aims of the plotters was to destabilise the state ahead of the planned takeover.
The six going on trial at the High Court cannot go before a military court – some are civilians, one in a serving police inspector and others are retired military personnel.
They have denied the 13 charges, including treason, terrorism and money laundering – and while they may not necessarily be the ringleaders, their trial is likely to shed light on an alleged plan that is said to have involved all elements of Nigeria’s security forces.
Nigeria has a long history of military takeovers but has been under civilian rule since 1999. Several other West African countries have experienced coups in recent years and there has been speculation that Nigeria could be next, with economic hardship rising and accusations that the political system was rigged in favour of a small elite.
