- Last week, CDS warned “evil people” calling for Coup over hardship, saying: “we’ll come after you”
Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said it will seek legal redress on the claim by online newspaper, SaharaReporters, that the Guards Brigade has been put on high alert following unusual movements of troops and equipment, leading to suspicion of a coup plot in Nigeria.
SaharaReporters had reported on Sunday that following the suspicions of a coup scare, there were emergency meetings involving the Commander of the Presidential Brigade of Guards, Brigadier General Adebisi Onasanya, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
But in a statement on Sunday night by Acting Director, Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, Defence Headquarters said the allegation was totally false, raising alarm that the reported rumour has the ulterior motive of creating unnecessary tension in the country.
General Gusau maintained that Guards Brigade is statutorily assigned the responsibility of protecting the seat of power (The Presidency) and by extension the Federal Capital Territory and its environs, adding that because of the sensitivity of its assignments, it has always been on high alert in order to effectively execute its assigned tasks.
Defence Headquarters therefore called on relevant security agencies to immediately take appropriate action against the newspaper.
The full statement read: “The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to a malicious and unfounded article published online by @SaharaReporters on 25 February 2024 claiming that the Guards Brigade has been put on high alert following unusual movements, leading to suspicion of a coup plot in Nigeria. The publication also asserted amongst other things that the suspicion prompted emergency meeting involving President Bola Tinubu, the Chief of Staff to the President and Commander of the Guards Brigade.
“The Defence Headquarters wishes to categorically state that the allegation is totally false. For the avoidance of doubt, the Guards Brigade has been statutorily assigned the responsibility of protecting the seat of power (The Presidency) and by extension the Federal Capital Territory and its environs. Hence, it is to be noted that the Guards Brigade has always been on high alert in order to effectively execute its assigned tasks.
“It will be recalled that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa OFR had in various fora reiterated the unalloyed commitment of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the protection and sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. Therefore, the Defence Headquarters strongly condemn this unsubstantiated assertion which is just a figment of imagination of the publisher and enjoins members of the public to disregard it.
“Furthermore, the Defence Headquarters calls on relavant security agencies to immediately take appropriate action against the Sahara Reporters for this unpatriotic action. Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters will seek legal redress on the issue which has the ulterior motive of creating unnecessary tension in the country.”
Last week, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, warned those he described as “evil people” calling for a coup in Nigeria due to the current economic hardship in the country, saying, “we’ll come after you.”
General Musa, who spoke after inaugurating the main entrance of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army and Officers Transit Accommodation, at the Division Headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, warned that the law will come for those calling for a coup in the country because of the current economic realities.
The CDS assured of the military’s commitment towards the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria, saying: “Whoever is making that call (coup) does not love Nigeria. We want to make it very clear that the Armed Forces of Nigeria are here to protect democracy.
“We all want democracy and we do better under democracy. And so we will continue to support democracy. And any of those ones that are calling for anything other than democracy are evil people and I think they don’t mean well for Nigeria.
“And they should be very careful because the law will come after them. We can see that with democracy a lot of things are happening in Nigeria. Yes we are going through trying periods, I mean in life nothing is hundred per cent.”
Musa told the troops that the Federal Government is focused on addressing the current economic challenges in the country and therefore appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience.
“Everybody goes through a trying period in life, and it is what you do with them. You can see the government putting efforts to ensure that we come out better.
“And it is when you go through difficulties and come out better you will really appreciate what it is to build a nation.
“And so we are going through our trying period, but I can assure Nigerians that it will get better,” he added.
