Renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has criticised the Nigerian military for failing to apologise to the public after reversing its earlier denial of an alleged coup plot involving some officers.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, Falana described the military's shift in position from outright denial to acknowledging a plot to overthrow the government as unacceptable without a formal apology.
He stated: “Yesterday, the military authorities ought to have apologised to Nigerians. People in authority must learn to take us seriously as a people.”
Falana recalled that in October 2025, the military arrested 16 officers, attributing the action to acts of indiscipline and violations of service regulations.
At the time, it strongly denied media reports linking the arrests and the cancellation of the 2025 Independence Day parade to any coup attempt, dismissing such claims as false, malicious, and capable of creating unnecessary tension.
More than three months later, on Monday (January 26, 2026), the military issued a fresh statement confirming an alleged plot to overthrow the government and revealing that some of the detained officers would face trial before a military judicial panel.
Falana argued that this dramatic reversal required public accountability: “If you had made a statement three months ago that there was no coup plot and, in the course of your investigation, discovered that the matter went beyond indiscipline, you ought to have apologised to the Nigerian people.”
He stressed that a public acknowledgment of the initial denial, followed by an apology upon confirmation of the allegations, would have been the honourable course of action.
The senior lawyer also raised concerns over the legal handling of the case. He noted that while court martial might suffice for indiscipline, an alleged coup plot constitutes treason or treasonable felony, which must be tried before a Federal or State High Court not a military tribunal.
Falana further condemned the prolonged denial of access to legal counsel, family members, and medical care for the detained officers, insisting these are fundamental rights that have been violated.
Reports indicate that up to 42 individuals have been arrested in connection with the matter. Falana called for the immediate release of those not formally indicted, while expressing hope that the military would still issue the deserved apology to Nigerians.
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