Alleged Coup: Military inaugurates general court-martial, begins trial of suspects

The Nigerian military on Friday inaugurated a general court-martial to try officers accused in an alleged coup plot, marking the formal commencement of proceedings.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused officers were brought to the venue of the sitting, the Guards Brigade Scorpion Mess, Asokoro, at about 8:53 a.m. under tight security.

Journalists were, however, denied access into the courtroom as proceedings commenced behind closed doors.

Several civil lawyers were observed arriving at the venue ahead of the inauguration, suggesting the presence of legal representatives for the accused.

The sitting signals the beginning of the military’s internal trial process following months of investigation into the alleged plot.

The case dates back to October 2025, when about 16 serving military personnel, comprising senior and junior officers, were arrested over alleged acts of indiscipline.

Subsequent investigations by military authorities, however, established that some of the officers had cases to answer bordering on an alleged attempt to overthrow the constitutional government, leading to the decision to subject them to court-martial.

NAN reports that more than 30 accused officers were brought in a luxurious “Marcopolo” bus.

In a related development, the federal government had earlier arraigned several civilian suspects and retired military personnel before a Federal High Court in Abuja over the same alleged coup plot.

The defendants, including a retired major general and a serving police officer, were charged with offences bordering on treason and terrorism.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court subsequently ordered their remand in custody pending the hearing of their bail applications.

The parallel proceedings underscore the dual-track approach, with serving military personnel facing court-martial, while civilians and retired officers are being tried in civilian courts.

Further details of the court-martial proceedings were not immediately available as at the time of filing this report. (NAN)