Children and wives of military officers detained over an alleged coup plot on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest at the National Assembly in Abuja, demanding either the immediate release of their loved ones or their prompt arraignment in court.
The demonstrators, many of them minors, carried placards with inscriptions such as “Release Our Daddies,” “Don’t Kill Our Fathers,” and “Six Months of Detention Without Trial is Injustice,” as they decried the prolonged detention of the officers.
The affected personnel were reportedly arrested in October 2025 over alleged involvement in a coup plot and breaches of military regulations.
However, their families claimed that more than 160 days after, the officers had neither been formally charged nor granted access to their relatives.
Some of the children who spoke during the protest expressed anguish over the continued absence of their fathers.
Eight-year-old Halima Mohammed, daughter of Lt. Col. Mohammed Almakura, pleaded with authorities to show mercy.
She said, “Please don’t kill our daddy. We want justice for him. Since he was arrested, our lives have not been the same again. My mummy cries every day. I really miss him so much.”
Nine-year-old Ibrahim Bala, son of a detained Major, also appealed for his father’s release.
“The last time I saw him was nine months ago. Our house has been lonely without him. Let the government bring my daddy back safely,” he said.
Similarly, four-year-old Fatima Yusuf, whose father is a Wing Commander, appealed to the President and the First Lady to intervene.
“I want to beg them to bring my daddy safely back. Since he left, I have no one to play with,” she said.
An 11-year-old protester, Nana Aisha Usman, urged the authorities to either release the officers or prosecute them openly.
“Please help us beg the government to release my daddy or take him to court. I don’t think my dad is a bad person,” she said.
One of the wives of the detained officers, Nana Ibrahim, described the coup allegations as questionable and called for transparency in the handling of the case.
“The whole coup allegation and arrest are shady. If there is evidence, they should present it in court. We want an open trial. Enough is enough,” she said.
The protest comes weeks after the families reportedly appealed to President Bola Tinubu, seeking access to the detained officers and urging the Federal Government to ensure justice.
The detainees are said to include senior officers such as a Brigadier General, Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, Majors, Captains, and other ranks.
Families of the officers maintained that the prolonged detention without trial had inflicted severe emotional and financial strain on their households, insisting that the government must either substantiate the allegations in court or release the officers without further delay.
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