Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has slammed the Nigerian military after it announced that some officers would be arraigned over an alleged plot to overthrow the government.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘The Morning Brief’ on Tuesday, Falana said the development suggested that the military authorities deliberately misled the public.

The senior lawyer stated that the military should have apologised to Nigerians for its earlier denial.

“Yesterday, the military authorities ought to have apologised to Nigerians. People in authority must learn to take us seriously as a people,” Falana said.

He added that a reversal of such a serious position without an apology was unacceptable.

“If you had made a statement three months ago that there was no coup plot and, in the course of your investigation, discovered that the matter went beyond indiscipline, you ought to have apologised to the Nigerian people,” he said.

According to Falana, a public acknowledgment of the earlier denial and an apology after confirming the allegations would have been a more honourable approach.

DAILY POST reports that the military made the disclosure on Monday, over three months after it announced that 16 officers had been arrested for acts of indiscipline and violations of service regulations.

The military at that time denied reports that the cancellation of the 2025 Independence Day parade was linked to an alleged coup plot, describing the claim as false, malicious, and capable of creating unnecessary tension and distrust among Nigerians.