Nigerian military says officers will be tried after a probe found they carried out a coup plot

By DYEPKAZAH SHIBAYAN
Associated Press

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — A group of Nigerian military officers will stand trial for allegedly plotting to overthrow the West African nation’s government, the Nigeria Defense Headquarters said Monday, citing findings from an investigative panel.

At least 16 officers were arrested in October over what military authorities described as “acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.” The arrests, added to local media reports of a failed coup, had caused tensions in a region already faced with a string of coups.

An investigation into the officers’ conduct was concluded and revealed a coup plot against President Bola Tinubu ‘s government, Samaila Uba, Nigerian military spokesman said in a statement Monday.

“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 Armed Forces of Nigeria,” Uba said.

The officers found culpable will be arraigned before a military judicial panel to face trial in accordance with military procedures, the spokesman added.

It was not clear how many of the 16 officers who were arrested will face trial and authorities did not provide their names. Further measures were also being taken to preserve order, discipline and the effectiveness of the military, the spokesman said.

The alleged coup plot comes on the heels of a surge in coups and attempted coups in West and Central Africa, the latest in Benin and Guinea-Bissau late last year. The military takeovers, experts say, follow a pattern of disputed elections, constitutional upheaval, security crises and youth discontent.

In Nigeria, which had multiple coups between 1966 and 1993, concerns have grown over worsening hardship due in part to the government’s austerity measures.