By Kingston Magare 27.1.2026
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, said the Nigerian military owed Nigerians an apology for denying there was a coup plot to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu.
Despite various reports in the media the military and the presidency had vehemently denied there was any plot to unseat the government. But on Monday the Defence Headquarters revealed that 16 officers are currently being detained and would be brought to trial for the alleged plot.
“Yesterday, the military authorities ought to have apologised to Nigerians. People in authority must learn to take us seriously as a people,” Falana said while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday.
“If you had made a statement three months ago that there was no coup plot and, in the course of your investigation, discovered that the matter went beyond indiscipline, you ought to have apologised to the Nigerian people.”
The senior advocate also questioned the military’s plan to try the detained officers by court martial, stating that since the allegations involve a coup plot, the officers can only be charged with treason or treasonable felony, which are offences triable only before a Federal or State High Court.