Fuming wives of alleged coup plotters

Last week, the social media was abuzz with stories about the whining wives of military officers who allegedly plotted to overthrow the Bola Tinubu administration elected in 2023. The story was not about what motivated the alleged plot but what agitated the wives and fuelled their scepticism. In any case, they groaned, their husbands should be put on trial quickly and transparently. They also added a few character portraits of their husbands, including their dutifulness, courage at the war front, and good behaviour. They were unanimous about one thing: expeditious trial. But what no one has boldly said so far is that the said coup, allegedly led by Brig.-Gen. Musa Abubakar Sadiq, was a phantom plot.

It may be naïve of the whining wives to expect that their husbands would take them into confidence, or divulge information about any plot to any family member, or move in a manner that would raise their spouses' apprehensions. But the wives are right to ask for expeditious and transparent trial to prove the guilt or innocence of their husbands, especially nearly seven months after the foiling of the plot. A speedy trial not only puts the wives' minds at rest, it helps the country to put the coup matter to rest too, and to regain composure in meeting other national challenges, including the next elections. If the coup issue drags on for much longer, it is bound to encourage the misinformed to try and shape the narratives of the plot, create a lot of societal friction, anxiety, rumours and misgivings capable of hurting the administration's image and the forthcoming polls. The government may be in a quandary over whether to prosecute the alleged plotters in regular courts or in a court martial, but one way or the other the dilemma must be resolved and the trials concluded speedily.

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Benin Republic's December 7, 2025 coup led by Lt.-Col. Pascal Tigri took place months after the Nigerian plot. Apart from the initial arrest of some 14 suspects in a coup Nigeria played a leading role in putting down, total arrests increased to about 100, and legal proceedings commenced in March in Cotonou. Given the northern skew of the identity of the alleged Nigerian plotters, the government must be wary of letting the coup narratives be shaped by public ignorance and sentiment, especially against the backdrop of the orchestrated insecurity ravaging the northern part of the country. Even if more suspects are still being arrested, and regardless of the controversy over what courts to try the alleged plotters, it is important to conclude the trials before the political campaigns begin in the next few months.