Falana faults military over initial ‘coup plot’ denial, demands apology

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, has criticised the Nigerian military for ”misleading” the public over an alleged coup plot involving some officers.

The senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) was reacting to the military’s admission that certain officers would face trial before a military judicial panel over an alleged attempt to overthrow the government.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Falana said the military’s earlier denial suggested that Nigerians were deliberately misinformed.

“Yesterday, the military authorities ought to have apologised to Nigerians. People in authority must learn to take us seriously as a people,” he said.

“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.”

He said offering an apology after confirming the allegations would reflect institutional responsibility, and expressed hope that the military would still apologise.

Falana also criticised the continued denial of access to legal representation for the detained officers, stating that they were entitled to meet their lawyers, family members, and medical personnel.

He noted that a court martial would only be appropriate if the matter was limited to internal misconduct, adding, “Allegations of a coup plot amount to treason or treasonable felony — offences that can only be tried before a federal or state high court.”

According to the SAN, up to 42 people have been arrested in connection with the matter, and he urged the authorities to release those not formally indicted without delay.

Recall that The Witness reported that the defence headquarters (DHQ) admitted on Monday that investigations conducted in line with military procedures uncovered the involvement of some personnel in the alleged plot against President Bola Tinubu.

Samaila Uba, director of defence information, said the affected officers would be arraigned before appropriate military judicial panels.

The alleged coup plot first emerged after the federal government cancelled the Independence Day parade scheduled for October 1, 2025, to mark Nigeria’s 65th anniversary.

Although the defence headquarters initially dismissed reports linking the cancellation to a coup attempt, 16 military officers were arrested in the first week of the month, while two others were said to be on the run.