Alleged Coup: Wives of Detained Military Officers Protest 160 Days in Custody

Wives of Nigerian military officers detained over an alleged attempt to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday staged a protest in Abuja.

The spouses of the suspected coup plotters, accompanied by human rights activists Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju, gathered in the Federal Capital Territory to demand an open trial for their husbands.
It will be recalled that several military officers were arrested and have remained in detention over an alleged plot to overthrow President Tinubu and disrupt Nigeria’s 26-year democratic rule.
The protesting wives also called for access to their husbands, stating that the officers had been held for more than 160 days without being brought before an open court.
According to them, “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 uniforms who are meant to protect Nigerians.”
They maintained that their husbands and fathers had served the country faithfully.
The women appealed to President Tinubu, the First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and other national leaders to intervene in the matter.
They added, “We ask only for what the 1999 Constitution guarantees every Nigerian — that our husbands be treated as innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law. The allegation against them must not be used as a tool or scapegoat. We want due process, nothing more and nothing less.
“To the Nigerian military and to the men and women in uniform, we are not your enemies. We are wives, mothers and children, and we struggle to understand how the same institution our husbands served with dedication has now become the source of our deepest pain.
“We respectfully ask for compassion and transparency. Grant us access to our husbands, let us see them and know that they are safe and alive. There are questions that demand clarity and there are inconsistencies that have raised serious concerns.
“Initially the public was told that N12 billion had been discovered in the account of one of the officers. Today the narrative has changed — the amount is now N835 million, and it is reportedly in a company account rather than the account of any officer. What was once presented as N12 billion has now dropped by about 93 percent.
“Furthermore, the allegations themselves have also changed.
“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. If there is evidence, it should be presented openly in court.”