- The meeting came as the nationwide protests against hunger and bad governance entered the fifth day on Monday.
The Nigerian military has finally spoken on the possibility of a military takeover amid the ongoing nationwide protests.
President Bola Tinubu on Monday summoned a National Security Council meeting where issues of security threats to the country were deliberated on.
The meeting came as the nationwide protests against hunger and bad governance entered the fifth day on Monday.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the security meeting, the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Christopher Musa, ruled out the possibility of the military overthrowing Tinubu’s govt.
This is even as he described as a treasonable offence the waving of Russia flags in some part of Nigeria during the protest.
The CDS stated that the military will not be part of any plot to unconstitutionally unseat the democratically elected government, adding that the military would also thwart such attempt.
He said: ” Also the issue of coups, Nigeria is a sovereign nation, Nigeria is a democratic nation all security agencies are here to defend democracy and ensure that democracy continues to thrive.
“We will not accept anyone pushing or taking any action, seemingly or for whatever reason to want to push for any change of government. Democracy is what we stand for, democracy is what will continue to defend.”
Asked to clarify the allegations that some soldiers partook in the looting in some states, the army chief said, “No. I think it has been cleared, I think it was also a misconception. They actually have seen those things and they wanted to clear them away from the area and that’s what was done.
“We have investigated thoroughly, the Chief of army Staff is here. we have investigated thoroughly and there is nothing like such. No member of the Armed Forces fell into doing that.”
General Musa reiterated his earlier position that the military will step in to quell the protests when it gets out of hand.
He said , “You can see that some people supervising elements to push individuals to carry Russian flags in Nigeria, Nigeria is a sovereignty, that is crossing the red lines and we will not accept that.
“And those ones who have done that will go in for the books and they will be prosecuted.”
Further asked whether those behind the action have been identified, he simply responded, “I’m sure you have seen them on TV, that is enough for you to see.”