Nigerians Connect Dismissal of Service Chiefs to Coup Rumors

Table of Contents

• Reactions to the Security Shake-Up
• Social Media Responses
• New Appointments in Security
• Presidential Statement

Reactions have continued to emerge following the significant overhaul in the security framework approved by President Bola Tinubu on Friday.

Some users on social media attributed the dismissal of the service chiefs to recent rumors of a potential military coup in Nigeria.

According to DAILY POST, social media was inundated last week with rumors regarding an attempted military coup, which the Nigerian Army strongly refuted.

The alleged coup plot, reported by various online news outlets, claimed that several soldiers associated with the plan had been apprehended.

Just a week after the report, President

Tinubu, as stated by his media aide, Sunday Dare, appointed Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede as the new Chief of Defence Staff, succeeding General Christopher Musa. Additionally, Major-General W. Shaibu was designated as the new Chief of Army Staff.
In the same context, Air Vice Marshal S.K. Aneke was appointed Chief of Air Staff, while Rear Admiral I. Abbas became the new Chief of Naval Staff.

Following these announcements, social media users took to their platforms to share their opinions on the changes.

They suggested that the President's decision to dismiss the service chiefs was a response to the alleged coup plot aimed at overthrowing his administration.

Here are some reactions from X (formerly Twitter) as compiled by DAILY POST:

@abbkar_ai: “The daily killings of innocent citizens by bandits and Boko Haram were insufficient to warrant the removal of the Service Chiefs, yet a mere coup plot against the President suddenly became the reason for their dismissal.
“It’s disheartening that the lives of ordinary Nigerians hold so little value until the power structure itself feels threatened.”

@ennyola0015: “The coup d’état rumor turned out to be true. President Tinubu’s decision to dismiss the service chiefs wasn’t merely precautionary; it was a decisive and assertive action.”

@mni_JJ: “They have confirmed that the coup attempt was real. Service chiefs, including the prominent figure from Southern Kaduna, have been dismissed.”

@Maibitil_: “The innocent citizens who were brutally killed by bandits, along with the security personnel murdered by Boko Haram, were not enough to warrant the dismissal of the Service Chiefs until a coup plot against his struggling government surfaced. What a ruthless and power-hungry leader.”

@mindaffairss: “Fabricating a fake coup to replace the few service chiefs from the North with your allies from the Southwest. Federal Republic of APC, Yoruba edition.”

However, a presidential spokesperson, Sunday Dare, informed DAILY POST that Tinubu’s actions were intended to enhance “security throughout the nation.”