Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, retired General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that he was among the high-profile individuals targeted in the recently thwarted coup plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking during an interview on Politics Today aired on Channels Television, Musa revealed that the plotters planned to have him arrested, with instructions to kill him if he resisted.

According to the defence minister, the alleged conspirators lacked seriousness and a clear understanding of Nigeria’s political and military realities.

“I was clearly one of their targets. The plan was to arrest me, and if I refused, I was to be shot,” Musa said. “But that comes with the job. Anyone who attempts a coup knows the risks involved—if it works, fine; if it fails, you face the consequences.”

Musa dismissed the possibility that the suspects could have succeeded, stressing that their actions showed ignorance of Nigeria’s democratic journey and the strength of its armed forces.

Describing the plotters as ill-prepared and misguided, he questioned their confidence in confronting the Nigerian military.

“When you look at the calibre of those involved, it’s hard to understand what made them think they could take on the armed forces,” he added.