Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and the wives of detained Nigerian military officers on Friday 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.

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.

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 in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

”These past months have been deeply painful for our families. We have watched helplessly as narratives are presented to the public, subjecting our husbands to trial by media. At the same time, some of us have faced intimidation from the very men in uniform meant to protect Nigerians.”

The families said the prolonged detention has left them struggling with unanswered questions while their husbands and fathers are subjected to what they described as “trial by media.”

”Our husbands and fathers have served this country faithfully on the front lines, risking their lives in defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Today, their families are left with fear, uncertainty, and unanswered questions,” they said.

The wives also raised concerns over what they described as inconsistencies in the allegations against the officers.

According to them, the public was initially told that $12 billion had been discovered in the account of one of the officers.

However, they said the narrative later changed, with reports now indicating that $835 million was found in a company account rather than in the personal account of any officer.

The wives also noted that the reason for the arrests appeared to have shifted over time.

“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,” the families said.

They argued that if investigations had indeed been concluded, as earlier suggested by the military authorities, then the next step should be to begin trial proceedings in an open court.

“We do not want anything done secretly or through trial by media. 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,” they said.

They also appealed to the Nigerian military for compassion and transparency, asking that they be allowed to see their detained relatives.

“Grant us access to our husbands. Let us see them and know that they are safe and alive,” the appeal read.

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.

Nigerian soldiers from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) hold Kalashnikovs at the MNJTF military base, Sector 3 Headquarters, in Monguno, Borno state, Nigeria, on July 5, 2025. (Photo by Joris Bolomey / AFP)

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. (Channels)

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