Families of Officers Implicated in Alleged Coup Plot Plead for Mercy
Families of Officers Implicated in Alleged Coup Plot Plead for Mercy
Families of 16 military officers accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu are lobbying the Presidency for leniency.
Reports show that relatives are reaching out to high-ranking officials, hoping the administration will temper justice with mercy.
The officers, ranging from Captain to Brigadier-General, have been in custody since October 2025. Following a finding of guilt by the military high command, retired senior officers confirm the group is now awaiting a formal court-martial.
Relatives are seeking “political solutions” to the crisis, citing the officers’ roles as family breadwinners. While acknowledging the gravity of the allegations, they are pleading for the President to consider the human cost of the legal proceedings.
A relative of a detained Major appealed directly to the Commander-in-Chief: “We know the offence is grave considering the military laws and laws of the land, but these people are our loved ones, we can’t afford to lose them now. In fact, they are breadwinners to their respective families. We want to use this medium to appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to temper justice with mercy. He is our father; he is a father of the nation. We beg him to show mercy to them. We are not saying they shouldn’t be punished, but we don’t want their death now.”
Initially shocked by the arrests, families have shifted from questioning the detention to seeking national forgiveness.
They hope the President will consider the impact on the officers’ young children, believing the accused have learned their lessons.
Expressing this plea, another relative stated: “Initially, we thought they were detained unjustly, but with what we are hearing, all we need now is to appeal to the Nigerian people. Dear president, forgive our sons; dear Nigerians, forgive them. If not for anything, the children of some of them are still young. Please forgive us. We believe they must have learnt their lessons.”
Finally, security expert, Abdullahi Garba emphasized the need for transparency to prevent claims of victimization. He stated: “There is a need for open and fair trial of these people, so that it would not look like victimisation because most of them hail from one part of the country.”
