Unlock the Editor’s Digest without cost
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favorite tales on this weekly publication.
A number of Nigerian army officers are to face trial for allegedly trying to overthrow the federal government of Bola Tinubu in a coup plot final 12 months.
Nigeria’s army mentioned this week that, following an inside investigation, “a quantity” of the 16 detained officers, who had been arrested final October, have been tied to “allegations of plotting to overthrow the federal government”.
It’s unclear how lots of the detained officers — who haven’t been formally recognized — stand accused of being concerned within the alleged plot, which may have ended 1 / 4 of a century of civilian rule.
Samaila Uba, the Nigerian army’s spokesperson, mentioned in a terse assertion on Monday that the detained officers would face army justice.
Uba added that the army would make efforts to make sure that “order, self-discipline and operational effectiveness” had been maintained however offered no further particulars on when authorized proceedings had been anticipated to happen.
President Tinubu cancelled Independence Day celebrations on October 1 final 12 months after his authorities was tipped off in regards to the alleged coup try throughout a army parade, in keeping with native media studies and folks briefed on the state of affairs.
Rumours {that a} coup had been foiled had been initially strongly denied in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, with the army claiming that the 16 officers had grievances that had been tied to perceived profession stagnation.
Tinubu later sacked the chief of defence workers in addition to the heads of the military, navy and air power on October 24, earlier than changing the defence minister with a former normal.
Feyi Fawehinmi, a Nigerian writer and historian, mentioned Nigerians had come to take democracy without any consideration after the nation returned to civilian rule in 1999 following a long time of army governments. It had turn into commonplace in Nigeria for folks to say the army, whose senior officers are nicely paid and obtain beneficiant pensions at retirement, had no real interest in working the nation of 240mn folks.
However the coups in a number of of Nigeria’s Sahelian neighbours, most not too long ago in Niger in 2023, meant such complacency was misplaced, mentioned Fawehinmi. “Go searching on the Sahel and you need to ask your self, ‘do you actually assume some Nigerian troopers gained’t get some humorous concepts’?” he added.
Nigeria underwent repeated army coups between 1966 and 1993, earlier than returning to civilian rule in 1999. The acknowledgment of the alleged plot is the clearest signal that Nigeria will not be proof against the resurgence in army coups throughout West Africa up to now a number of years.
Tinubu has been grappling with a rising safety disaster that has led to more and more embattled Nigerian forces being deployed on a number of fronts, together with in opposition to Islamist insurgents, armed criminals and to take care of lethal conflicts between herders and farmers.
Underneath Tinubu, Nigeria has additionally taken a agency stance in opposition to army coups within the area. Abuja deployed forces to neighbouring Benin in December to help native forces in thwarting a violent putsch in Cotonou led by disgruntled officers looking for to overthrow President Patrice Talon.
In November, Guinea-Bissau turned the most recent nation in West Africa to endure a army putsch, when officers deposed President Umaro Sissoco Embaló. Navy juntas have additionally taken over Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Gabon since 2021.
Yusuf Musa Dauda, an activist calling for the discharge of the detained Nigerian officers, advised native media on Sunday that that they had been denied enough medical care and had been prevented from having contact with their households since their arrest.
