Irabor says military has no plan for coup, warns politicians against tempting officers

Lucky Irabor, chief of defence staff, says the personnel of the Nigerian armed forces are not contemplating undertaking a coup. 

Irabor spoke on Friday at a virtual media chat tagged ‘Open Ears Dialogue’.

He said the armed forces will continue to educate its personnel that coups do “more harm than good”. 

“The armed forces of Nigeria have nothing whatsoever to do with anything that has to do with coup. We have learned our lessons over the years and we have come to our conclusion that coups will do us more harm than good,” he said. 

“And so this is what the leadership of the armed forces is passing down the chain, and educating everyone under our command that there is no reason whatsoever for anyone to contemplate that.”

He asked politicians to desist from luring armed forces members into political matters, saying the military should be insulated from any political persuasions or inclinations.

“And in the same vein, the leadership of the armed forces is also telling politicians to leave us alone, do not mix us up with issues that have to do with politics and do not use political inclinations and persuasions to want to lure anybody from the armed forces into the idea of having to undertake coups and all,” he said.

“We will not. That’s the reason why perhaps the discussions you may have been having in the media, we have been insulated from such discussions because they already know our viewpoint in this regard.”