A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has said the military officers who plotted a failed coup to remove President Bola Tinubu in 2025 cannot face court-martial.
According to him, Nigeria is not practising military leadership but a democracy, hence the coup plotters must be tried in a high court.
Falana spoke in an interview a few days after the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, said the coup plotters knew consequence of their action.
“We are under a democratic government, and as far as the constitution is concerned, we have to take them to a high court,” Falana said.
“The soldiers cannot be court-martialed; they are not trying to remove a military dictator. It’s an attempt to remove an elected government, a constitutional government, to disrupt the constitutional arrangement,” Falana stated.
Below is a list of the military officers arrested in connection with the failed coup.
Brigadier General Musa Abubakar Sadiq (44th Regular Course)
Colonel M. A. Ma’aji ( 47th Regular Course)
Lieutenant Colonel S. Bappah (56th Regular Course)
Lieutenant Colonel A. A. Hayatu (56th Regular Course)
Lieutenant Colonel P. Dangnap (56th Regular Course)
Lieutenant Colonel M. Almakura (56th Regular Course)
Major A. J. Ibrahim (56th Regular Course)
Major M. M. Jiddah (56th Regular Course)
Major M. A. Usman (60th Regular Course)
Major D. Yusuf (59th Regular Course)
Major I. Dauda (DSSC 38)
Captain I. Bello (DSSC 43)
Captain A. A. Yusuf
Lieutenant S. S. Felix (DSSC)
Lieutenant Commander D. B. Abdullahi (Nigerian Navy)
