In what appears to be heightened insinuations of a coup d’état, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has denied allegations of a coup plot over economic hardship in the country.
DHQ was responding to a report claiming that the Guards Brigade had been put on high alert due to suspicion of a coup plot. The Guards Brigade protects the state house, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and its environs.
Acting Director of Defence Information Tukur Gusau, acting dismissed the report as “malicious and unfounded” in a statement issued on Monday, February 26.
“The Defence Headquarters wishes to categorically state that the allegation is totally false,” the statement reads.
Gusau added that DHQ will “seek legal redress against the publishers,” saying the publication has an “ulterior motive of creating unnecessary tension” in the country.
“The DHQ strongly condemn this unsubstantiated assertion which is just a figment of imagination of the publisher and encourages members of the public to disregard it.
“The DHQ has called on relevant security agencies to immediately take appropriate action against the article’s publisher.”
Earlier, The Explainer reported how the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, cautioned against insinuations to subvert the democratic process through coup d’état.
General Musa reiterated the military’s commitment to upholding constitutional order and urged Nigerians to support the administration of President Bola Tinubu in tackling the nation’s challenges.
“Nigeria is a democracy and we must respect the rule of law and the people’s will. We cannot afford to go back to the dark days of military dictatorship, which brought nothing but misery and suffering to our people,” Musa said.
His remarks came at a time when Nigeria is facing multiple crises, including a surge in inflation and insecurity.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the inflation rate rose to 29.90% in January 2024, the highest in four years. The unemployment rate also increased to 33.3% in the fourth quarter of 2023, the highest on record.
CSOs Protest Over Economic Hardship In Edo, Osun States
Meanwhile, Nigerians have continued to protest over the economic hardship in the country exacerbated by some economic policies of President Bola Tinubu.
In Benin City, the Edo state capital, the protesters marched from Kings Square to Akpakpava Road and carried placards with diverse inscriptions such as “End Economic Hardship” and “FG End the Hunger in Nigeria Now,” to drum home their points.
The governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the September 2024 poll Dr Azemhe Azena was among the protesters in Edo State.
It was a similar situation in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, where the protesters converged at Nelson Mandela Park. They called on the Federal Government to “End the High of Living”.
The protesters carried placards saying “End bad government”, “End food scarcity” and “End Nigerian hardship”. Monday’s protests were the latest in demonstrations over the high cost of living in Nigeria.
Earlier, The economic hardship sparked protests in several states, such as Ogun, Oyo, Kano, and Niger, with some protesters calling for the resignation of the president, or a military intervention to end the crisis.
Despite the growing concerns about the economy, President Tinubu has repeatedly called for patience to allow his reforms to take effect, saying they will help attract foreign investment, but the measures have hit Nigerians hard.
