Abuja – In an emotional appeal circulated through back-channels and now made public, wives, mothers and siblings of the 16 military officers held since October 2025 for an alleged coup plot have reached out to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, top lawmakers and service chiefs, pleading for clemency ahead of an imminent court-martial.
Speaking exclusively to Jamisi News on condition of anonymity, a senior member of one affected family said:
> “We do not dispute the gravity of the charge under military law, but these men are husbands, fathers and bread-winners. We beseech the Commander-in-Chief to temper justice with mercy. Let the punishment fit the future, not the gallows.”
According to reliable military sources, the 16 – comprising four Majors, three Captains and nine other ranks – were indicted in a confidential Board of Inquiry report submitted to the President last December. The findings concluded that the group had “advanced beyond mere conversation” and entered the “coordination phase” of a plot to disrupt the constitutional order.
All accused have been in pre-trial detention at a Defence Intelligence facility in the FCT and are expected to face a General Court Martial as early as next week. Capital punishment is permissible under the Armed Forces Act for conspiracy to mutiny.
A second family spokesperson, voice cracking over the phone, told Jamisi News:
> “When the news broke we thought it was a mistaken identity. Now we kneel before the Nigerian people: forgive our sons. Their little children still ask, ‘When is Daddy coming home?’ We believe lessons have been learnt.”
Political Outreach
Jamisi News can confirm that delegations of relatives have met at least three former Heads of State, two serving state governors and the leadership of the National Assembly in the past fortnight, requesting “any political solution that spares lives.” One senator admitted:
> “The plea is heart-rending, but the military code is unambiguous. The President alone can exercise prerogative of mercy after conviction, not before.”
Presidency Silent
As at press time, the Special Adviser to the President on Media had not responded to multiple enquiries. Defence Headquarters stated simply: “Due process will be followed and the outcome made public at the appropriate time.”
Human-rights Angle
Civil-society group “Nigerians Against Death Penalty” has taken up the case, arguing that an execution would “echo the dark decades of 1976 and 1986, contradicting the administration’s democratic credentials.”
The group has petitioned the Attorney-General and the National Council of State, citing Article 6(4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Nigeria is a signatory.
What Next?
Legal analysts say the court-martial could open and conclude within ten days under military rules. A guilty verdict would automatically be sent to the Confirming Authority – the President – who may confirm, commute or pardon.
For the families, the wait is torment. As one wife put it:
> “We light candles every night, not for innocence, but for life. Mercy is not weakness; it is the strength of a nation.”
Jamisi News will monitor proceedings and publish the full charge sheet once the trial commences.
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