The daughter of one of the 36 Nigerian military personnel currently facing court-martial over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government has penned an emotional letter revealing the devastating impact of her father’s prolonged detention on their family.
The handwritten letter, obtained exclusively by SaharaReporters, offers a rare glimpse into the anguish of children caught in the middle of one of Nigeria’s most controversial military prosecutions.
In the emotional note, Khadija, the daughter of one of the detained officers, describes living with uncertainty, fear and unanswered questions as her father remains in military custody without communication with his family.
“Honestly, I’m scared, deep down inside I’m really scared. What if you never come back? What if you left for good? What if you are not happy where you are?” she wrote.
The young girl said that what initially felt like another temporary separation gradually transformed into a painful reality as weeks turned into months without any contact from her father.
“At first, it felt the same, just like it always did because we don’t stay together. But gradually it started feeling empty, and the more it got empty, the more scared I got,” she wrote.
“What if you don’t come back? Did you leave for good? Are you happy where you are? Are we going to lose you and become fatherless children?”
The letter paints a heartbreaking picture of a family struggling to cope with the disappearance of its breadwinner, with Khadija revealing that her mother cries almost daily while trying to appear strong before her children.
“Mama cries almost every day. She misses you a lot but she claims that something entered her eye just to appear strong in front of us, so that we don’t ask her questions that she doesn’t have answers to,” she wrote.
She explained that while her younger siblings may not fully understand what is happening, she has become increasingly aware of the uncertainty surrounding her father’s detention.
“Ahmad, Ikram, Fahim and Farha might not understand what is going on because they are little, but I do and I pray after every prayer that you come back, that you are safe wherever you are,” she wrote.
The letter further reveals the family’s frustration over the lack of information regarding the detained officer’s whereabouts and welfare.
“The worst part is that I don’t even know the kind of situation you are in. I don’t know where you are, why you are there or even who to ask about you. Every time I ask mama, all she says is she doesn’t know or I should keep on praying.”
According to Khadija, her father had been gone for at least two months without any phone calls, messages or direct communication with the family.
“The fact that you have been gone for at least two months now, no calls, no messages, nothing,” she said.
She also described the emotional toll on her mother, who she said often receives calls from sympathisers that only deepen her pain.
“Sometimes, she just gets angry without a reason and shouts at us, or sometimes she would be staring at your photo on her phone and before you know it, she’s in tears,” Khadija wrote.
Despite her fears, Khadija said she continues to focus on her education, hoping to make her father proud upon his return.
“I push myself to study hard every day because I know if my results are good, you would be very proud of me.”
The emotional letter emerges amid growing allegations of torture, starvation and inhumane treatment against the detained military personnel.
As previously reported by SaharaReporters, wives of some of the accused officers and soldiers recently alleged that their husbands were suffering severe health complications after months in detention.
The women claimed that prolonged starvation, poor feeding, confinement in an underground detention facility and repeated exposure to suffocating conditions had left many of the detainees battling deteriorating eyesight, respiratory illnesses, high blood pressure and psychological trauma.
One wife told SaharaReporters that her husband was among the first group of officers arrested and allegedly survived on water alone for four consecutive days after being detained.
“My husband was among the first 16 officers arrested. They were starved for about four days. During that period, they were given only water to drink, just enough to keep them alive,” she said.
The wives further alleged that authorities frequently switched off ventilation systems inside the underground detention facility as a form of punishment, forcing detainees to struggle for air.
According to them, several of the detained officers have developed lung-related illnesses, heart conditions and severe vision problems, with many now reportedly relying on prescription glasses after months in confinement.
Beyond the physical ailments, family members say the prolonged detention has left many of the accused soldiers traumatised and psychologically broken.
The 36 military personnel are currently standing trial before a General Court-Martial on charges including conspiracy, mutiny and failure to suppress mutiny over allegations that they participated in a plot to overthrow the Nigerian government between January 2022 and November 2025.
The case has generated significant controversy following allegations by defence lawyers that the tribunal appeared to have prejudged the matter after the court-martial president reportedly suggested that a prima facie case had already been established before the prosecution presented its evidence.
(SaharaReporters)
