Nigeria: Coup - Military to Begin Court-Martial of 16 Officers - DHQ

Nigerian soldiers (file photo).
26 January 2026

The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) has concluded investigations into cases involving 16 officers apprehended over acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations, with some of them to face trial before military judicial panels.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Uba recalled that the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) had, in October 2025, announced the arrest of the officers, noting that the investigations had now been completed in line with established military procedures and extant regulations.

According to him, the investigation examined all circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel and identified a number of the officers with cases to answer, including allegations bordering on plotting to overthrow the government.

He said such actions were inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards expected of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

"Accordingly, officers found to have cases to answer will be formally arraigned before appropriate military judicial panels to face trial in line with the Armed Forces Act and other applicable service regulations," he said.

The defence spokesman emphasised that the measures being taken were purely disciplinary and part of internal institutional mechanisms to preserve discipline, cohesion and operational effectiveness within the ranks.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces to professionalism, loyalty and respect for constitutional authority, assuring the public that due process and fairness would be strictly observed throughout the proceedings. (NAN)

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