“They Targeted the Heart of the State”: Defence Minister Musa Reveals Coup Plotters Assassination Plot

ABUJA – In a chilling disclosure that has sent ripples through Nigeria’s security architecture, the Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar Musa, has revealed that elements involved in a recent failed coup attempt had specifically marked him for arrest and assassination.

The Minister made these revelations during a high-level briefing, shedding light on the depth of the conspiracy aimed at destabilizing the current administration and upending democratic rule in the country.

According to Minister Musa, the plotters viewed the leadership of the Ministry of Defence as a primary obstacle to their takeover. The plan allegedly involved a multi-pronged assault. A coordinated hit on the Minister’s residence to “eliminate” him during the initial hours of the uprising or secondary plan to take him into custody as a political prisoner if the assassination attempt failed, using him as leverage against the federal government.

The Minister praised the Intelligence Community and the Special Forces for their proactivity. It was through sophisticated surveillance and internal tip-offs that the plot was intercepted before it could transition from the planning stage to execution.

“They didn’t just want a change in government; they wanted blood. They planned to arrest me, and failing that, to take my life. But our commitment to this nation is stronger than their treachery.” — Minister Badaru Musa

In the wake of these revelations, the federal government has significantly tightened security around key “high-value” targets and critical national infrastructure.

Minister Musa reassured Nigerians that the military remains subservient to civilian rule and that the “misguided ambitions” of a few would not derail the nation’s progress. He emphasized that the era of military interventions in Nigerian politics is “buried in the past.”

The Ministry of Justice is currently reviewing the evidence gathered by military intelligence, with a view to beginning the prosecution of the primary suspects in the coming weeks.