JUST IN: Military inaugurates court-martial for alleged 36 coup plotters

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, set up by the defence headquarters, was inaugurated on Friday at the Scorpion Mess in Asokoro, Abuja, under tight security, with proceedings held behind closed doors.

Accredited journalists, including defence correspondents who had received prior invitations, were denied access to the venue.

Security personnel also barred the use of mobile phones as the 36 defendants were transported to the facility in an Army Headquarters Garrison bus at about 8:53 a.m.

The military trial is running alongside separate criminal proceedings initiated 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 same alleged plot before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. The defendants — including 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 the group conspired in 2025 to overthrow the government and failed to report the plot. The court has ordered their remand in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), with an accelerated hearing scheduled for April 27.

The parallel trials have triggered legal debate. Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has urged the AGF to invoke Section 174 of the Constitution to discontinue the military trial and consolidate all cases before the Federal High Court.

“Courts-martial lack the jurisdiction to handle such grave constitutional offences,” Falana said, arguing that treason and terrorism cases fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of civilian courts.

He also questioned the consistency of prosecuting some suspects in civilian courts while trying others before a military tribunal over the same allegations.

The military had earlier said the alleged coup plot was uncovered through internal intelligence, leading to multiple arrests. Meanwhile, families of the accused and activist Omoyele Sowore have called for a transparent, civilian-led trial to safeguard the defendants’ fundamental rights.