Military set up court-martial for alleged ‘coup plotters’
The Nigerian military has set up a court-martial to try 36 personnel over their alleged involvement in a plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The panel, constituted by the defence headquarters, was inaugurated on Friday at the Scorpion Mess in Asokoro, Abuja.
Proceedings were held behind closed doors amid heightened security, with journalists denied access to the venue.
Security operatives also barred the use of mobile phones as the defendants were brought in.
The accused personnel were conveyed to the venue in a bus belonging to the army headquarters garrison.
Meanwhile, the federal government, through the office of the attorney-general of the federation, is also prosecuting six suspects over the alleged plot.
The suspects, including a retired major general, a retired naval captain, a serving police inspector and civilians, were arraigned on a 13-count charge before a federal high court in Abuja on Wednesday.
The court ordered their remand in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) and fixed April 27 for commencement of an accelerated hearing.
Although Timipre Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa, was mentioned in the charge, he is said to be at large.
THE ALLEGED PLOT
On September 29, 2025, the federal government announced the cancellation of a parade earlier scheduled to celebrate the country’s 65th independence anniversary on October 1.
Days later, there were reports that the cancellation of the independence anniversary event was linked to an alleged coup attempt.
However, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) dismissed the reports, insisting that the cancellation had no links to the alleged coup attempt.
On October 31, 2025, TheCable reported that 16 military officers were arrested in the first week of the month over the alleged coup attempt, while two other officers were on the run.
In January 2026, the DHQ confirmed that there was a plot to overthrow Tinubu.
Samaila Uba, the DHQ director of defence information, said investigations conducted in line with established military procedures found some personnel involved in a coup plot.
He said the officers would be arraigned before relevant military judicial panels.
In March, family members of military officers detained over an alleged coup plot appealed to Tinubu to allow the suspects to be tried in an open court.
During a news conference in Abuja, wives and other family members of the detained officers also requested access to the alleged coup masterminds.
Earlier in April, families of the detained military officers protested at the entrance of the national assembly, demanding a speedy trial and access to their relatives.
