JUST IN: Journalists Barred as Military Inaugurates Court-Martial for 36 Alleged Coup Plotters

The Nigerian military has inaugurated a General Court-Martial to try 36 personnel accused of plotting to overthrow the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The court-martial, set up by the Defence Headquarters, was inaugurated on Friday at the Scorpion Mess in Asokoro, Abuja, under tight security and behind closed doors.

Despite prior invitations, accredited defence correspondents and other journalists were denied access to the venue, while security personnel also prohibited the use of mobile phones to record proceedings or document the arrival of the accused personnel.

The 36 defendants were brought to the venue in an Army Headquarters Garrison bus at about 8:53 a.m.

The military trial is running alongside separate criminal proceedings before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

On April 22, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, arraigned several other suspects linked to the same alleged coup plot before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.

Those charged include retired military officers, a police inspector, and civilians, all of whom pleaded not guilty to a 13-count charge involving treason, terrorism, and money laundering.

The Federal Government alleged that the suspects conspired in 2025 to overthrow the government and failed to report the plot to the authorities.

The court subsequently ordered their remand in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), with an accelerated hearing fixed for April 27.

The simultaneous military and civilian trials have generated legal controversy, with senior human rights lawyer Femi Falana calling on the AGF to discontinue the military proceedings and consolidate all related cases before the Federal High Court.

Falana argued that under Section 251 of the Constitution, offences such as treason and terrorism fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court and should not be handled by a court-martial.

He maintained that courts-martial lack the constitutional authority to try such serious offences and noted that even during military regimes, coup-related matters were often handled by special tribunals rather than regular military courts.

The military had earlier disclosed that the alleged coup plot was uncovered through internal intelligence operations, leading to the arrests.

Families of the accused, alongside activist Omoyele Sowore, have also demanded a transparent civilian-led trial to ensure the protection of the defendants’ fundamental rights.