Judge Begins Trial‑Within‑Trial In Alleged Plot To Overthrow President Tinubu

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday opened a trial‑within‑trial in the case of six defendants accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, with Justice Joyce Abdulmalik warning lawyers to focus only on whether the defendants’ statements were voluntary. 

Prosecutor Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, called a Military Police officer who testified that all six suspects were calm, aware of their rights and not coerced. The court admitted their written statements as Exhibits A–F and video‑recording devices as Exhibits G, G1, H and H1 after the defence raised no objections.

The witness maintained that none of the defendants was denied legal representation and gave similar accounts for all six, including the 1st defendant, a retired General, and the 6th defendant, whose statements were translated between Hausa and English. 

Under cross‑examination, he admitted he was not part of the Special Investigative Panel, that the videos covered only Military Police sessions, that some recordings and written statements were made on different dates, and that no lawyers or observers were present. 

He also confirmed that some defendants were not shown writing their statements on video but insisted the process was voluntary and transparent. The matter was adjourned to May 13, 2026 for continuation.