Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, has urged the Nigerian military to apologise to citizens following its recent admission of an alleged coup plot involving some of its officers.
Falana’s call comes after the military announced on Monday that certain officers would face a judicial panel over claims of attempting to overthrow the government, a stark reversal from its earlier stance.
In October 2025, the military denied links between the alleged plot and the cancellation of the Independence Day parade, labelling such claims as “false and malicious.”
Addressing the matter on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Falana described the military’s previous denials as misleading.
“Authorities should take Nigerians seriously. A reversal of this magnitude without an apology is unacceptable,” he said.
Falana insisted that acknowledging the truth and apologising would have been the “honourable” path.
“If initial statements dismissed a coup plot, yet investigations revealed otherwise, Nigerians deserve a full apology,” he added.
The senior lawyer also raised concerns about due process. He argued that the accused officers cannot be tried by court-martial for alleged treason, noting that such cases fall under Federal or State High Court jurisdiction.
He emphasised that denying the detained officers access to lawyers, family, and medical care violates their fundamental rights.
According to Falana, up to 42 individuals have been detained so far. He called for the immediate release of those who have not yet been formally charged.
“Justice must be balanced with transparency. Arbitrary detention without legal recourse cannot be tolerated,” he said.
Falana concluded by expressing hope that the military would still acknowledge its missteps publicly.
“An apology would restore some measure of trust between the armed forces and Nigerians,” he noted.