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 Bola Tinubu.
The tribunal, constituted by Defence Headquarters, was inaugurated on Friday at the Scorpion Mess in Asokoro, Abuja, under tight security. Proceedings were held behind closed doors, with journalists and accredited defence correspondents denied access, while security operatives restricted the use of mobile devices at the venue.
The accused personnel were transported to the location in an Army Headquarters Garrison bus early in the morning as the military formally commenced the trial.
The court-martial is running alongside a separate criminal case filed 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 in the civilian case, which includes retired military officers, a police inspector, and civilians, pleaded not guilty to a 13-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, and money laundering. They have since been remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services, with an accelerated hearing scheduled.
Prosecutors allege that the suspects conspired in 2025 to overthrow the government and failed to report the plan to authorities.
However, the parallel trials have sparked legal debate. Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has called on the government to halt the military proceedings and consolidate all cases before the Federal High Court, arguing that offences such as treason and terrorism fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of civilian courts.
Falana questioned the legality of subjecting some suspects to a court-martial while others face trial in a civil court over the same allegations, insisting that military tribunals lack jurisdiction over such constitutional offences.
The military had earlier disclosed that 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’ rights.
