MILITARY INAUGURATES COURT-MARTIAL FOR 36 PERSONNEL OVER ALLEGED COUP PLOT
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Nigerian military has inaugurated a General Court-Martial to try 36 personnel accused of involvement in an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The court-martial, constituted by the Defence Headquarters, was inaugurated on Friday at the Scorpion Mess under heavy security, with proceedings held behind closed doors.
Journalists, including accredited defence correspondents, were denied access to the venue despite prior invitations. Security operatives also barred the use of mobile phones as the 36 defendants were transported to the location in an Army Headquarters Garrison bus at about 8:53 a.m.
The military trial is running concurrently with separate criminal proceedings instituted by the Federal Government at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
On April 22, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, arraigned other suspects linked to the alleged plot before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. The defendants, which include retired military officers, a police inspector, and civilians, pleaded not guilty to a 13-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, and money laundering.
The prosecution alleges that the suspects conspired in 2025 to overthrow the government and failed to report the plot. The court subsequently ordered their remand in the custody of the Department of State Services, with an accelerated hearing fixed for April 27.
The parallel proceedings have sparked legal controversy, with prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana calling on the AGF to invoke Section 174 of the Constitution to discontinue the military trial and consolidate all cases before the Federal High Court.
Falana argued that offences such as treason and terrorism fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, questioning the legality of subjecting some suspects to a military tribunal while others face trial in a civilian court for similar allegations.
He maintained that courts-martial lack jurisdiction over such constitutional offences, noting that even during past military regimes, coup-related cases were typically handled by special tribunals rather than standard military courts.
Meanwhile, the military had earlier disclosed that the alleged coup attempt was uncovered through internal intelligence operations, leading to the arrests of the suspects.
Families of the accused, alongside activist Omoyele Sowore, have also called for a transparent, civilian-led trial, arguing that it would better safeguard the fundamental rights of the defendants.
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