00:00But first, a group of Nigerian officers are set to be tried for allegedly plotting to overthrow President Bullitt Tenubu.
00:07When the 16 were arrested last year, the rumours of a coup were officially denied at the time.
00:13Nigeria has seen several military power grabs in the past, but has been under democratic rule for almost 30 years.
00:19It's currently leading regional efforts to stop military takeovers in West Africa,
00:24but now has to turn the spotlight onto its own military.
00:27Our Sam Olokoya breaks it all down for us.
00:31Military spokesman General Samayla Uba said after a comprehensive investigation,
00:37some arrested officers have been identified with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government.
00:43The military says those suspected of involvement in the coup plot will face a court-martial.
00:49It is the first confirmation from the Nigerian army that some officers have been arrested for plotting to overthrow the government.
00:56Both the military and the Nigerian government denied reports in October last year that some officers have been arrested in connection with the coup plot.
01:07Since independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria's democratic process has been repeatedly halted by military coups until 1999,
01:17when the country returned to stable democratic rule.
01:19Reports of the coup plot come in the wake of recent military takeovers in some other West African countries like Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
01:31Nigeria is leading the regional body, ECOWAS, in effort to restore democratic rule in the affected countries.
01:39Last December, Nigeria deployed its Air Force planes to quell a coup attempt in neighboring Republic of Benin.
01:45A military takeover in Nigeria will substantially weaken the country's led regional effort to stop coups in West Africa
01:53or to return countries currently under military rule to democratic governments.
01:58This is currently more than 85 percent of the country to help the battle on a force than
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