A pro-democracy group has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the federal government to consider releasing military officers detained since October 2025 over an alleged coup plot, citing concerns about their deteriorating health and prolonged detention without trial.
The Concerned Pro-Democratic Activists of Nigeria said some of the officers, who have been held since their arrest last October, are falling seriously ill in custody and are not receiving adequate medical care. The group also alleged that family members have been denied access to the detainees since their arrest.
The military announced on Oct. 4, 2025, that 16 officers had been arrested for breaches of military regulations and acts of indiscipline. Then–Director of Defence Information Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau said investigations showed the officers’ grievances were linked to repeated failure in promotion examinations and perceived career stagnation.
However, military sources had told the media at the time that the arrests were connected to an alleged failed coup, a claim the military and the federal government later denied. The arrests followed the sudden cancellation of Nigeria’s Independence Day parade on Oct. 1, 2025.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, the group’s chairman, Yusuf Musa Dauda, said the continued detention of the officers without trial raised serious concerns in a democratic setting.
“We strongly condemn any attempt to overthrow a government through undemocratic means,” Dauda said. “But we are appealing to the authorities to look into this matter with fairness and humanity, especially given the health conditions of some of the detainees.”
Dauda urged the government to grant the detained officers access to proper medical care and allow them to communicate with their families to ease their concerns. He also called on authorities to either release the officers if there is no case against them or formally charge them in court to allow due legal process.
