Wives and family members of military officers detained over an alleged coup plot on Friday appealed to President Bola Tinubu to grant them access to their husbands and ensure they are either freed or brought before a court of law.
The appeal was made during a press briefing in Abuja, where the families were joined by human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore. They lamented that the officers had been held for over 160 days without trial or contact with relatives.
No fewer than 20 wives attended the briefing with their children, including a two-month-old baby. Those present included Firdaus Usman, Farida Lawal, Hauwa Aliu, Aisha Sadiq, Hassana Salihu, Fatima Muhammad, Zahra Abba, Khadija A. Hayatu, Helen Sunday, Memuna Bashiru (who read the speech), Aisha Ibrahim, and two-month-old Ahmad Musajida.
Addressing journalists on behalf of the families, Basir said the ongoing detention had caused anguish and uncertainty in their households.
“We stand before you as families, wives, mothers, and relatives, whose husbands and brothers have been in detention for over 160 days without being brought before an open court of law. For more than five months, our families have lived with uncertainty, fear, and unanswered questions. Today, we are here for one simple reason: to ask that justice be done openly and in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. These past months have been deeply painful for our families,” she said.
She added that although allegations against the officers were widely reported, their families had been kept in the dark.
“We have watched helplessly as narratives are presented to the public, subjecting our husbands to a media trial. At the same time, some of us have faced intimidation from the very men in uniform who swore to protect Nigerians. Our husbands served this country faithfully on the frontlines, risking their lives in defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Today, their families are left with fear, uncertainty, and unanswered questions. We speak today not with anger, but with the heavy hearts of wives and mothers,” she lamented.
Basir appealed directly to the President and the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, urging them to intervene. The families stressed that they were not seeking favours but were insisting on constitutional rights.
“We appeal to Mr President, Bola Tinubu, a father and grandfather, and to Her Excellency the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, a mother, grandmother and revered pastor, as leaders of this nation at this moment in time, to please look upon our situation with compassion, wisdom, courage and justice. We respectfully beseech you to examine and be receptive to all the facts of this highly sensitive case with an open mind. We ask only for what the 1999 Constitution guarantees every Nigerian: that our husbands be treated as innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law. The allegations against them must not be used as a tool or a scapegoat. We want due process, nothing more and nothing less,” she said.
The families also appealed to the military authorities for access to their husbands.
“We respectfully ask for compassion and transparency. Grant us access to our husbands. Let us see them and know they are safe and alive,” she pleaded.
Basir further highlighted inconsistencies in the official narrative surrounding the arrests.
“There are inconsistencies that have raised serious concerns. Initially, the public was told that N12bn had been discovered in the account of one of the officers. Today, the narrative has changed. The amount is now said to be N835m and it is reportedly in a company account rather than the account of any officer. What was once presented as N12bn has now been reduced by more than 93 per cent. Furthermore, the allegations themselves have changed. At first, the officers were reportedly arrested for indiscipline. Later, the allegation became conspiracy to commit a coup d’état. We respectfully ask: what changed? If there is evidence, it should be presented openly in court,” she questioned.
She noted that the military had earlier announced that investigations had been completed.
“Mr. President, the military publicly stated over six weeks ago that investigations had been concluded. If that is the case, justice must now move forward. We respectfully request that the trials commence immediately in an open court of law visible to all Nigerians. We do not want secret proceedings or a media trial. If our husbands are guilty, let it be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. But if they are innocent, justice demands that they be set free,” she added.
The families urged civil society organisations, religious leaders, the legal community, and the international community to closely monitor the case.
“We are not asking for favours or shortcuts. We are asking for our constitutional rights, the truth, and the safe return of our husbands. If there is evidence, bring them before a court of law. If there is none, let them go free,” she said.
Adeyanju emphasised that the officers’ continued detention without access to family or legal representation violated fundamental rights.
“The reason why we gathered is because of two major salient issues. First, since the arrest of these officers, members of their family have not been allowed to have access to them and they have not been allowed to have access to legal representation, which is a clear foundation of Section 35, Article 5 of the African Charter and Article 9 of the Civil and Political Rights Principles. This is the reason we have decided to identify with members of the family and also the issues surrounding the so-called coup. There are a lot of loopholes and questions that are demanding for answers. This is the reason we have gathered here in solidarity today,” he said.
Adeyanju also noted the presence of many family members, including elderly parents and children.
He warned that allegations of coup plots have historically been used against prominent political figures in Nigeria, urging caution in handling the current case. He referenced former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua, and Muhammadu Buhari as examples of past accusations.
Sowore stated that families deserved justice and transparency.
“I want to encourage members of the distressed families of the so-called alleged coup d’etat that we are here to ensure that justice is done, no matter what it will take,” he said.
He held a two-month-old baby, noting the child had never seen his father.
“By the way, I have a child here in my arms who hasn’t seen his father (since he was born). He’s only two months old. Can you imagine that? He hasn’t seen the father, who’s been detained for five months. He’s got to have his father back. You can see that he is also in distress,” he added.
Sowore stressed that even if the allegations were true, the officers deserved a fair and transparent trial.
“We shouldn’t live in a country where anything under a democratic society is done in secrecy. Even if it is true that these men committed these offences, they have a right to be given an open, transparent and fair trial in court. We must therefore allow their families to speak with them and prepare lawyers for their trial. That is how it is done all over the world. An allegation of a coup plot does not translate to abuse. That’s our position,” he said.
He also issued an ultimatum to the government:
“That is why the government of Bola Tinubu should not be afraid to make this open to all. We are giving them an ultimatum to let these arrested individuals, about 120 of them, be allowed to visit their families, see their lawyers, and be presented for trial if there are genuine allegations against them. What we have gathered from their families, as we’ve spoken to so many of them, is that there’s no evidence anywhere. Just some high-level officials who are trying to buy the loyalty of the president and create what we call the ‘fear factor.’ That’s how they control people in power, and claiming that these guys committed an offence of treason,” he said.
Helen Sunday, one of the wives, added that some families had suffered bereavement while their husbands remained in detention.
“While our husbands are in detention, we have lost some family members because of their travail. For instance, one of the detained soldiers, Hayatu, lost his dad. Another officer, Zuzu, lost his mother. But the painful part is that they are not aware of their deaths yet. That is because we were not granted access to see them. We don’t even know exactly where they are locked up,” she said.
The appeal comes about a month after a pro-democracy group urged the Federal Government to consider releasing officers detained over the alleged October 2025 coup plot, citing concerns over their health and prolonged confinement.
The alleged plot, initially announced on October 4, 2025, by then Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, involved 16 officers. Investigations indicated a clandestine network allegedly coordinated by an Army colonel, planning surveillance of key national assets including the Presidential Villa, Armed Forces Complex, Niger Barracks, and major international airports.
Those reportedly in custody include Brig Gen M. A. Sadiq, Col M. A. Maaji, Lt Col S. Bappah, Lt Col A. A. Hayatu, Lt Col P. Dangnap, Lt Col M. Almakura, Maj A. J. Ibrahim, Maj M. M. Jiddah, Maj M. A. Usman, Maj D. Yusuf, Capt I. Bello, Capt A. A. Yusuf, Lt S. S. Felix, Lt Cdr D. B. Abdullahi, Sqn Ldr S. B. Adamu, and Maj I. Dauda.
The alleged coup was reportedly planned for October 25, 2025, targeting senior officials including Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.