Military Postpones Ruling in Alleged Coup Plot Trial Against Tinubu

The General Court Martial handling the alleged coup plot case involving some military officers accused of attempting to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu has postponed its ruling on the admissibility of statements made by some of the accused.

The ruling, which was initially scheduled for Wednesday, September 30, 2026, has now been moved to Monday, October 5, 2026.

A notice issued to members of the court and other parties said the sitting earlier fixed for September 30 had been postponed. The new hearing is scheduled to begin at 10am at the Scorpion Officers’ Mess in Asokoro, Abuja.

The notice, signed by Major M.U. Ardo, the liaison officer, did not provide a reason for the latest postponement but expressed regret over the inconvenience caused.

The development marks the fourth time the ruling has been deferred, further extending the proceedings in the military trial.

The court is expected to rule on whether statements allegedly obtained from some of the accused officers can be admitted as evidence. The issue followed a trial-within-a-trial conducted after defence lawyers challenged the circumstances under which the statements were obtained.

The defence had alleged that some of the officers were subjected to coercion by officials of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and were pressured into making or reproducing statements that they considered false.

During the trial-within-a-trial, the defence argued that the disputed statements failed to meet the legal requirements for admissibility. The lawyers also raised concerns about the circumstances in which the statements were taken, including allegations that lawyers or witnesses chosen by some of the accused were not present.

The defence further questioned the absence of video recordings showing some of the officers making their statements in the presence of their selected witnesses, as required under relevant provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The lawyers also alleged that some of the officers were not properly cautioned or sufficiently informed of their rights before the statements were obtained.

The prosecution, however, presented evidence to support its position that the statements were made voluntarily and without improper pressure.

Some of the accused officers gave a different account during the proceedings, alleging that they were subjected to intimidation, inducement, coercion and physical abuse while in detention.

They claimed that they were sometimes led to believe that reproducing particular statements would help secure their release. Some also alleged that intelligence officials had prepared statements in advance and compelled them to copy or sign the documents.

According to their testimony, some of the statements contained claims or admissions relating to matters they said they had no knowledge of. They also disputed personally authoring some of the documents attributed to them.

The General Court Martial is presided over by Air Vice Marshal H.I. Alhaji of the Nigerian Air Force, with the proceedings taking place at the Scorpion Officers’ Mess in Asokoro, Abuja.

The court’s decision on the admissibility of the disputed statements will determine whether the prosecution can rely on the evidence in the ongoing proceedings.