•Sowore (L) and wives of the detained military soldiers
Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and the wives of detained Nigerian military officers today staged a protest in Abuja, demanding that authorities either charge the officers in court over the alleged coup plot against the federal government or release them.
The protest comes amid growing concern over the continued detention of several officers accused of involvement in a plot to oust the administration of Bola Tinubu, reports Channels TV.
The Nigerian Armed Forces reportedly detained at least 16 senior officers after the alleged coup plot.
The protesters, largely women, gathered in the Federal Capital Territory, carrying placards and calling on the administration of President Tinubu to intervene in the matter.
Flanked by Sowore and lawyer-activist Deji Adeyanju, the families appealed to the president to prevail on the military authorities to ensure due process in the handling of the case.
During a briefing, the emotional wives insisted that they were not asking for special treatment but for justice and transparency regarding the fate of their husbands.
“We are not asking for a favour; we are asking for justice to be done. Charge our husbands to court if there is evidence, but if there is none, let them go free,” one of the wives said.
The reports of the military men’s arrest first emerged in January 2026.
Although the military initially described the arrests as related to disciplinary issues such as “failure in promotion examinations” and breaches of service regulations, security sources later indicated that the detentions were linked to a suspected plot to topple the government.
Authorities also claimed that the suspected plotters compiled a list of high-profile targets.
Following investigations reportedly conducted by security agencies, including the Defence Intelligence Agency and the Department of State Services, the military confirmed in January 2026 that a coup plot had indeed been uncovered.
The detained officers are expected to face a military judicial panel, also known as a court-martial, where they could be formally tried.
As of the time of filing this report, the military authorities had not issued an official response to the latest protest by the families of the detained officers.
