Crime
I Was Targeted for Arrest and Assassination — Defence Minister on Failed Coup
The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), on Sunday disclosed that he was among the intended targets of the recently foiled coup plot against President Bola Tinubu, revealing that the conspirators planned to arrest or shoot him if he resisted.
Musa made the disclosure while speaking as a guest on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, where he also described the suspects behind the plot as “a bunch of very unserious individuals.”
While admitting that he played a key role in helping security agencies nip the plot in the bud, the former Chief of Defence Staff said he was personally marked for arrest by the plotters.
“I was also a target, I am sure you know. I was supposed to be arrested, and if I refused, I was supposed to be shot,” he said.
“But that’s the job. Anybody who goes into coup zeroes his mind because he knows if he succeeds, good.
If he doesn’t succeed, whatever consequences come, you are ready for it.”
Musa dismissed the capacity of the suspects to successfully challenge the Nigerian state, saying their actions showed a complete misunderstanding of Nigeria’s democratic history and the strength of its armed forces.
“But again, I think these guys were just a bunch of very unserious individuals that I really don’t know. If you look at the calibre of the individuals, I really don’t know what got into their heads to think that they could take on the armed forces like that,” he said.
He added that even without the intervention of the military, Nigerians would have resisted any attempt to overthrow a democratically elected government.
“What I even said was that even Nigerians would have fought them. Even without the armed forces, Nigerians would have stood against them. Remember how Nigerians fought against the military rule for quite some time. And that’s why Mr. President has always been one of them.
“So now, for them to think they could just wake up one morning and do that in Nigeria, I think something went wrong in there. They need to reset their brains.”
Speaking on the arrests made so far, the Defence Minister said most of those involved had been apprehended, with only “maybe one or two” still at large.
“So far, most of them have been caught. If there’s anyone, maybe one or two. It just started from the colonel himself, who felt disgruntled because he was not promoted. He didn’t meet the marks to be promoted,” he said.
Musa explained that the plot was driven largely by personal grievances, noting that the armed forces’ promotion system is strict and merit-based.
“You know that the armed forces is really very strict about its promotions system. But he didn’t make it. So what he decided to do was probably go around, look at other people that had one issue or the other…with the aim of bringing them in,” he said.
Expressing concern for junior officers allegedly drawn into the plot, Musa said, “My pain is all those young officers who didn’t understand what was going on that he put in this mess. Now they have to face the consequences.
“So everything evolves around him as an individual. But he was just a colonel. I can’t even imagine a colonel ever thinking of doing such a thing.”
The Defence Minister stressed that executing a coup in modern-day Nigeria was virtually impossible, unlike in the past.“That was in the past. That was Nigeria of yesteryears. It’s impossible,” he said, adding that security agencies relied on verified facts, not speculation, before acting.
“If there’s a situation where you hear that somebody is trying to do something and you walk in, what facts do you have because you are going to go to the courts? If you can’t present it in the courts, then they throw you away. And then you look stupid.”
He said the investigation was thorough and collaborative, involving multiple intelligence agencies to avoid indicting innocent officers.
“Since I was there, I was the one who inaugurated the board. I made sure the board started. We sent them to DIA to do a thorough investigation along with the NIA, DSS, and every other person. So it’s a holistic investigation that was carried out because we didn’t want any innocent person to be indicted,” Musa said.
He dismissed claims that the plot was driven by dissatisfaction with the current administration, insisting it predated Tinubu’s inauguration.
“These things were planned even right before the president took office. So it was a plan they had ahead of him since they knew he was the one who won the election,” he said, describing the development as “quite unfortunate.”
Musa further noted that past coups succeeded only with the backing of top military commanders, a factor completely absent in the current case.
“If you remember, during those days when they had coups, you had to have most of the big boys like the GOCs and service chiefs…You don’t have any of such. They are just very low-ranking individuals that have no access to some of these things,” he said.
“For anybody to want to truncate democracy in this disposition, I think there’s something really wrong with them.”
Musa’s comments came a day after Sunday PUNCH reported that former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, may be arraigned in absentia over alleged financial crimes, amid ongoing investigations into the purported coup plot.
Sylva has remained outside the country for months after operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency raided his Abuja residence, an action linked to investigations into the alleged attempt to overthrow Tinubu’s administration.
It was gathered that the former governor, who has also been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over alleged $14,859,257 fraud, could be arraigned in absentia.
Top officials of the Department of State Services and the EFCC disclosed that the International Criminal Police Organisation and other partners were tracking Sylva.
In October 2025, the Defence Headquarters had dismissed reports of a coup attempt, despite the arrest of 16 officers accused of sponsoring the plot.
In a statement on October 18, 2025, the then Director of Defence Information, Brig Gen Tukur Gusau, denied reports linking the arrests to a failed coup and the cancellation of the October 1 Independence Day parade, describing them as “intended to cause unnecessary tension.”
However, the military later reversed its position. Last Monday, the new Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba confirmed that investigations had indeed uncovered a plot to topple Tinubu’s administration, adding that several officers had cases to answer.
The Enugu State Government has urged residents to make use of the 112 toll-free emergency line to access prompt security services anywhere in the state.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Peter Mbah on Security, Mr Vincent Onyeabor, made the call on Monday during an ongoing journalists’ tour of projects executed by the state government.
The journalists visited various workstations at the Command-and-Control Centre in Enugu, where Onyeabor explained how the state’s emergency response system operates.
He said the state had adopted the National Emergency Number 112 as its official emergency security services line, with a dedicated workstation at the Command-and-Control Centre receiving calls round the clock.
According to him, personnel manning the 112 workstation work in shifts to ensure that emergency reports are promptly received, processed and escalated to the appropriate security agencies for immediate action.
“The 112 toll-free line section can trigger action in terms of security emergency situations.
“The section will escalate the information received to the Command-and-Control Centre, Enugu, which can use the state-wide fibre cameras to trace the security or crime situation.
“The section can also escalate the information to the nearest Distress Response Squad (DRS) vehicle to take action,” he said.
Onyeabor urged residents to take advantage of the emergency line and continue to report security incidents to enable the authorities to respond quickly.
“Our people should take advantage of the 112 toll-free line as we want the calls to keep coming,” he said.
He added that residents could also contact the security response team through 09134666668 and 09134448093.
Onyeabor further attributed an estimated 80 per cent reduction in crime in the state to the government’s investment in technology-driven security infrastructure.
He listed the fibre-enabled surveillance cameras, Command-and-Control Centre, 112 emergency response system, drone technology and mobile statewide DRS squad among the measures deployed to strengthen security across the state.
The alleged daylight robbery of motorists and commuters by men in military and police uniforms along the Okigwe axis of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Road is becoming too brazen to ignore.
For motorists travelling from Enugu towards Okigwe, the ordeal reportedly begins shortly after Lokpanta, where a series of checkpoints can quickly turn an ordinary journey into an encounter with fear, intimidation and demands for money.
What makes the situation particularly disturbing is the difficulty in identifying the security personnel manning some of these checkpoints. On some occasions, their vehicles are unmarked. At other times, motorists say it is difficult to determine whether the men are police officers, soldiers or personnel of another security formation.
Yet, according to accounts from commuters and motorists, the alleged modus operandi remains remarkably similar.
A commercial bus is stopped and searched. Two or three young passengers may be singled out and labelled “Yahoo boys” — a term commonly used to describe suspected internet fraudsters. From there, an alleged demand for money follows, with some victims reportedly told to produce N50,000 or more.
The demand, according to the accounts, is often required in cash.
The victim is then left with little choice but to mount an okada to the nearest Point-of-Sale terminal, frequently around the Hausa settlement at Lokpanta, withdraw the demanded cash and return to the checkpoint.
For private motorists, the allegation takes a slightly different form. The vehicle may suddenly be described as stolen or suspicious. Instead of a formal verification process, the alleged encounter reportedly degenerates into negotiation, with the motorist expected to pay an agreed amount before being allowed to continue the journey.
Then the checkpoint goes back to business as usual.
The most troubling aspect of these allegations is not merely the money reportedly extorted from motorists. It is the mystery surrounding the identity and authority of the men operating the checkpoints.
Who are they?
Which security formation do they belong to?
Who deployed them?
And under whose authority are they operating?
One victim reportedly became so concerned about the identity of the personnel that he contacted an Army officer for assistance. The officer, in turn, reportedly reached out to police and Army formations in Abia State to establish whether the men were operating under their command.
The response, according to the victim’s account, was that none of the formations contacted recognised the team as theirs.
That raises an even more disturbing question: if they are not from Abia, Imo, Ebonyi or Enugu security formations, where exactly did they come from?
The Enugu–Port Harcourt corridor is one of the most important transportation routes in the Southeast. Thousands of people use it daily for business, work, family commitments and interstate travel. Security checkpoints are supposed to provide protection, prevent crime and reassure travellers.
They should not become sources of fear.
Of course, legitimate security operations must be distinguished from allegations of criminal conduct. Police officers and soldiers have a responsibility to stop suspected criminals, inspect vehicles and investigate suspicious movements. But where money is demanded from citizens without transparent legal justification, where suspects are allegedly forced to withdraw cash from POS operators, and where the identity of the personnel involved cannot be established, the matter demands urgent investigation.
There is also a wider security concern.
If genuine security personnel are involved, their respective commands need to identify them and establish whether their conduct is authorised.
If they are not genuine security personnel, then the possibility of criminals impersonating police officers or soldiers becomes even more serious.
Either way, the authorities cannot afford to look away.
The repeated complaints from motorists along the Okigwe axis deserve more than informal assurances. The police, Army and other relevant security agencies should investigate the checkpoints, establish the identity of the personnel operating them and make public the formations responsible for security operations along the route.
The Abia State, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi Government and the relevant local authorities also have a responsibility to demand answers.
For too long, motorists have reportedly endured harassment, intimidation and alleged extortion along this stretch of road.
The question is no longer whether travellers are complaining.
They are.
The real question is: who are the men behind these checkpoints, who authorised them, and why are motorists allegedly being forced to pay cash before they can continue their journeys?
That question requires an answer — and it requires one urgently.
By Chinedu Sabastine
ENUGU — A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Valentine Chimaobi Nwajiagu, was allegedly attacked on Sunday by a member of the Knights of St. John International, Sir Iyke Nwatakwocha, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, New GRA, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after the 6am Mass, during which Fr. Nwajiagu participated in a priestly exchange programme at the parish.
Fr. Nwajiagu is the Assistant Parish Priest of Assumption Catholic Church, Nkwo Nike, Enugu.
Sources said Nwatakwocha, who was allegedly visibly angry, confronted the priest and damaged his vehicle. He was also said to have threatened some worshippers who attempted to intervene.
The reason for the alleged confrontation was not immediately known as of the time of filing this report.
However, some worshippers claimed that the same individual had allegedly confronted Fr. Nwajiagu earlier in the year at his parish, raising concerns that Sunday’s incident may have been a recurrence.
The worshippers urged the Catholic Diocese of Enugu to investigate the incident and take appropriate measures to prevent further confrontation involving the priest.
The allegations could not be independently verified as of press time.
Efforts to obtain the reactions of Fr. Nwajiagu, Nwatakwocha, the Knights of St. John International and the Catholic Diocese of Enugu were ongoing as of the time of filing this report.
Troops of the newly established 15 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have dismantled three suspected IPOB/ESN camps and recovered weapons, explosives, and other logistics during an operation in Anambra State.
The operation was conducted in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2026, following intelligence on the activities of suspected IPOB/ESN members operating around Osuakwa, along the boundary between Ihiala and Ogbaru Local Government Areas.
The troops, operating under Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, carried out the operation alongside personnel of the Department of State Services and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group.
According to the Nigerian Army on X on Saturday, the joint force came under hostile fire during the operation but “responded decisively, overwhelming the criminals after a fierce firefight.”
A cache of weapons, explosives and other items, including one FN rifle with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, one pump-action shotgun with five cartridges and 15 sticks of dynamite, four motorcycles, one gas cylinder, three hybrid batteries, two car batteries and three handheld radio chargers.
The Army said three suspected IPOB/ESN members were killed during the operation, while the three camps were successfully overrun and destroyed.
Troops also recovered a cache of weapons, explosives and other items, including one FN rifle with 10 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, one pump-action shotgun with five cartridges and 15 sticks of dynamite.
Other recovered items included four motorcycles, one gas cylinder, three hybrid batteries, two car batteries and three handheld radio chargers.
Further exploitation of the area led to the arrest of a suspected IPOB/ESN member identified as Chijioke, alongside a man and a woman suspected of being accomplices. The three were reportedly found in the company of six children.
The Commander of 15 Brigade commended the troops, DSS personnel and members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group for their “courage, discipline and outstanding inter-agency cooperation.”
He described the operation as “another major setback for criminal and terrorist elements seeking to undermine peace and security in the South East.”
The Nigerian Army also assured residents that the newly established brigade would continue to sustain intelligence-led operations in collaboration with other security agencies and local stakeholders.
The Brigade said it remains committed to “denying all criminal elements freedom of action” and ensuring the safety and security of law-abiding residents across Anambra State and the wider South-East region.
Chief Sir Joseph Ebere Ezeokafor, chairman of Jezco Group of Companies, popularly known as Jezco, has regained his freedom after spending several days in the custody of his abductors.
Ezeokafor, the father of popular social media personality Jowi Zaza, was abducted in the early hours of Tuesday while on his way to a prayer ground in Awka, Anambra State.
The businessman was reportedly released near the boundary between Anambra and Enugu States, close to Ebenebe, near Awka. A family member was said to have picked him up late at night after his release.
His freedom followed ransom negotiations between the kidnappers and his family. The abductors had initially demanded N700 million before reportedly increasing the ransom to N1.5 billion.
However, following negotiations, the family eventually agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to secure his release.
Details of the final amount agreed upon, including whether the full sum was paid before or after his release, were not immediately available.
His release has brought relief to his family, friends, business associates and well-wishers, following widespread concern over his abduction across Anambra State and beyond.
Ezeokafor is the founder of Jezco Oil and Lubricants, a company he established in 1980 and subsequently expanded into other areas of manufacturing and business.
The circumstances surrounding the abduction and release, as well as the identities of the abductors, remain unclear.
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