Wives of Imprisoned Officers Appeal to Tinubu for Visitation Rights, Call for Public Court Proceedings

Families of detained military officers, who have been held for over 160 days, are urging President Bola Tinubu to grant them access to their loved ones and ensure they receive a fair trial or are released from detention.

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The plea was made during a press briefing in Abuja, where the families, accompanied by human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, expressed their anguish and uncertainty over the prolonged detention of their relatives.

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No fewer than 20 wives of the detained officers attended the briefing, including Firdaus Usman, Farida Lawal, Hauwa Aliu, Aisha Sadiq, Hassana Salihu, Fatima Muhammad, Zahra Abba, Khadija A. Hayatu, Helen Sunday, and Memuna Bashiru, who read the speech on behalf of the families.

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Memuna Bashiru stated that the continued detention of their husbands has plunged their households into uncertainty and anguish, leaving them with fear, uncertainty, and unanswered questions for over five months.

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The families lamented that while allegations against the officers have been widely reported, they have been left in the dark, with some of them facing intimidation from men in uniform who are supposed to protect Nigerians.

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Memuna Bashiru appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, to intervene in the matter, urging them to examine the facts of the case with an open mind and grant their husbands a fair trial or release them if there is no evidence against them.

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The families are seeking due process and adherence to the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees every Nigerian the right to be treated as innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law.

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They also appealed to the military authorities to allow them to see their husbands, granting them access to their loved ones and ensuring they are safe and alive.

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Memuna Bashiru raised concerns over inconsistencies in the official narrative surrounding the arrests, citing the initial claim of N12bn being discovered in one of the officers' accounts, which has now been reduced to N835m and is reportedly in a company account.

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She queried the changes in the allegations against the officers, from indiscipline to conspiracy to commit a coup d'état, and asked for evidence to be presented openly in court.

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The military had earlier announced that investigations into the matter had been concluded, and the families are now calling for the trials to commence immediately in an open court of law.

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Memuna Bashiru pleaded with the authorities to ensure that justice is done openly and in accordance with the Constitution, and that the trials are not conducted in secret or through a media trial.

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The families also called on civil society organisations, religious leaders, the legal community, and the international community to monitor the case closely and ensure that their constitutional rights are protected.

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Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju stated that the continued detention of the officers without access to their families or legal representatives violates their fundamental rights, as guaranteed by Section 35 of the African Charter and Article 9 of the Civil and Political Rights Principles.

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Adeyanju added that many family members of the detained officers, including elderly parents and children, were present at the briefing, and that almost 100 people have been detained in connection with the alleged coup plot.

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The Abuja-based lawyer warned that allegations of coup plots have historically been used against prominent political figures in Nigeria, citing the examples of former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar'Adua, and Muhammadu Buhari, who all faced similar accusations and imprisonment.

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Adeyanju cautioned that those in power could one day find themselves in similar circumstances, stressing that allegations of treason must be handled transparently and in accordance with the law.

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Former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore said the families deserved justice and transparency, and that even if the allegations were true, the suspects deserved a fair and transparent trial.

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Sowore held a two-month-old baby during the briefing, whose father has been detained since the child's birth, and urged the authorities to allow the families to see their loved ones and prepare lawyers for their trial.

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Sowore issued an ultimatum to the government, calling on them to allow the detained individuals to visit their families, see their lawyers, and be presented for trial if there are genuine allegations against them.

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One of the wives, Helen Sunday, stated that some families had suffered bereavement while the officers remained in detention, with one of the detained soldiers losing his father and another officer losing his mother, but they were not informed due to lack of access to their loved ones.

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The appeal comes about a month after a pro-democracy group urged the Federal Government to consider releasing officers detained over an alleged coup plot in October 2025, citing concerns over their health and prolonged confinement.

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On October 4, 2025, the then Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, announced the arrest of 16 officers for breaches of military regulations and acts of indiscipline, which later led to allegations of a planned coup.

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The alleged coup was planned for October 25, 2025, and targeted senior government officials, including President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, with those reported to be in custody including Brig Gen M. A. Sadiq, Col M. A. Maaji, and Lt Col S. Bappah, among others.