The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed as false and misleading a report circulating online that linked the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary parade to an alleged attempted military coup.
In a statement issued on Saturday by Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, Director of Defence Information, the DHQ clarified that no mention of any coup attempt was ever made and described the report as “malicious and intended to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among the populace.”
According to the statement, the decision to cancel activities marking the Independence Day celebration was purely strategic, aimed at allowing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to attend an important bilateral meeting abroad and enabling the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to maintain focus on ongoing operations against terrorism, insurgency, and banditry.
General Gusau further explained that the ongoing investigation involving sixteen military officers recently arrested is an internal disciplinary process, not connected in any way to the alleged coup plot. He emphasized that an investigative panel has been constituted and assured that its findings would be made public in due course.
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“The claims by the said publication are entirely false, malicious, and intended to cause unnecessary tension,” the statement read. “The Armed Forces of Nigeria remains firmly loyal to the Constitution and to the Federal Government under the leadership of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.”
The DHQ also called on Nigerians to disregard misinformation from “purveyors of falsehood” and to continue supporting the military and other security agencies in their efforts to secure the nation.
The statement, which was shared via the official X handle of Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, reaffirmed that democracy in Nigeria remains stable and unshaken.