Coup: Families of accused officers’ seek leniency

Family members of the 16 detained military officers who were accused of being involved in the plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu are calling on the Presidency and other authorities for leniency for their relatives, Weekend Trust has learnt.

The family members, it was gathered, are reaching out to top political and government functionaries at the seat of power to prevail on the president to temper justice with mercy.

Weekend Trust had exclusively reported that no fewer than 16 military officers were said to have been  indicted in a report submitted to the president after the coup plot.

The officers, according to retired senior military officers, are awaiting court martial.

The development came after the military high command said that the officers, who have been in detention since October 2025, were found guilty of the offence.

In October last year, there were reports that officers, ranging from the rank of Captain to Brigadier-General, were arrested and detained by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), for attempting to overthrow Tinubu’s government.

What family members said

In an exclusive interview with Weekend Trust last night, a family member to one of the Majors said they had to explore different options, including political solutions to resolve the issue.

“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,” he said.

Another family member who also spoke anonymously said they were shocked hearing that their sons were detained over a coup plot.

He said, “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.”

On his part, a security expert, Abdullahi Garba, called for fair and open trial of the detained officers by the military echelon.

“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,” the expert said.

‘It’s a risky venture’

Meanwhile, Major Bashir Galma (retd), who was part of the 1983 coup, described coup plot as a “risky venture,” saying, “It is a risky venture. There is no job that doesn’t have its occupational hazard. We were lucky. We did it and it went through. That was December 31, 1983.

“We are the people who partook in the takeover machine of that government in Kaduna. I was an army Captain then.

“It was on a Friday night – December 30 at 12 mid-night – which was supposed to be December 31, my birthday – we all got all ready and were assigned to places of responsibility.

“My own responsibility was to take over broadcasting houses and telecommunication networks in Kaduna,” the Octogenarian narrated.

Identities of officers in detention

The detained officers include a Brigadier-General, a Colonel, four Lieutenant Colonels, five Majors, two Captains, a Lieutenant, a Lieutenant Commander from the Navy (the naval equivalent of a Major) and a Squadron Leader from the Air Force.

Checks showed that 12 of the 14 army officers belong to the Infantry Corps, the army’s frontline combat unit, whose troops primarily engage in ground battles.

One officer is from the Signals Corps, which manages military communications, while another serves in the Ordnance Corps, responsible for procuring, storing and maintaining weapons, ammunition, vehicles and other essential hardware.

Brigadier-General Musa Abubakar Sadiq, with service number N/10321, was born on January 3, 1974. He trained as a Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) cadet between August 14, 1992 and September 20, 1997. As a member of Regular Course 44, Sadiq, an indigene of Nasarawa State, rose through the ranks, becoming a Colonel in 2015 and a Brigadier four years later. He belongs to the Infantry Corps.

Among other postings, the officer served as commander of the 3rd Brigade in Kano and garrison commander of the 81 Division of the Army in Lagos.

Colonel M.A. Ma’aji is a Colonel with service number, N/10668. Born on March 1, 1976, the Nupe native from Niger State started training on August 18, 1995 and finished on September 16, 2000. Investigators   suspect that he played the role of a key strategist for the alleged coup plot, but the claim has not been verified.

A member of the Infantry Corps, Ma’aji was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2013, becoming a full Colonel four years later. The 49-year-old officer was the Commanding Officer of the 19 Battalion of the Nigerian Army based in Okitipupa, Ondo State.

He took part in Operation Crocodile Smile II, a Nigerian Army military exercise conducted in 2017 to address security challenges in the Niger Delta and parts of the South-West.

He also served at the Depot, Nigerian Army and later, as commander, Operation Delta Safe. He was a member of the 47 Regular Course of the NDA.

Lt Colonel S. Bappah is a member of the Nigerian Army Signals Corps, with service number, N/13036. He hails from Bauchi State in the North-East. He was born on June 21, 1984.

The 41-year-old officer started his cadet training on September 27, 2004 and completed it on 4 October 2008. He is a member of the 56 Regular Course of the NDA.

Lt Colonel A.A. Hayatu, with service number, N/13038, hails from Kaduna State. Born on August 13, 1983, he underwent his cadet training between September 27, 2004 and October 4, 2008. A member of the infantry corps, Hayatu also belonged to the 56 Regular Course.

Dangnap is from Plateau State. He was born on April 1, 1986. In 2015, he was court-martialed alongside 29 others for offences related to the fight against Boko Haram.

The 39-year-old officer, with service number, N/13025, began his cadet training on September 27, 2004 and completed it on October 4, 2008. Dangnap is an Infantry Corps officer and member of the 56 Regular Course of the NDA.

Lt Colonel M. Al-Makura is a member of the 56 Regular Course. A native of Nasarawa State, he was born on March 18, 1983. The Infantry Corps officer with service number, N/12983 trained as a cadet at the NDA from September 27, 2004 to October 4, 2008.

Major A. J Ibrahim, with service number, N/13065, hails from Gombe State. Born on June 12, 1987, the Infantry Corps officer trained between September 27, 2004 and October 4, 2008. He was a member of the 56 Regular Course and became a Captain in 2013.

Major M.M. Jiddah is an indigene of Katsina State. He was born on July 9, 1985. He trained between September 27, 2004 and October 4, 2008. Jiddah, with service number, N/13003, is an Infantry Army officer and a member of the 56 Regular Course.

Major M.A. Usman is a Nigerian Army major with service number, N/15404. He was born on April 1, 1989. He hails from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. A member of the 60th Regular Course, the Infantry officer trained as a cadet at the NDA between August 16, 2008 and September 14, 2012.

Major D. Yusuf is a member of the Ordnance Corps. He was born on May 26, 1988. As a member of the 59th Regular Course, Yusuf, with service number, N/14753, trained at NDA between July 7, 2007 and September 8, 2012. The officer hails from Gombe State.

Major I. Dauda joined the army through the Direct Short Service Commission. Born on November 26, 1983, the Infantry officer with service number, N/13625, trained between June 5, 2009 and March 27, 2010. Dauda, who hails from Jigawa, is a member of Short Service Commission, Course 38.

The remaining officers, whose details are still sketchy, are Captain Ibrahim Bello, a member of the Direct Short Service Commission, Course 43, with service number, N/16266, who was born on July 28 1987; Captain A. A Yusuf with service number, N/16724; Lieutenant S.S Felix, with service number, N/18105; Lieutenant Commander D. B. Abdullahi, a naval officer with service number, NN/3289, and Squadron S. B Adamu, an Air Force squadron leader with service number, NAF/3481.

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