36 officers dragged before Military Court over alleged plot to unseat Tinubu

Nigerian army have now initiated court-martial trials of 36 military members who are allegedly linked with a conspiracy to topple the government led by President Bola Tinubu.

General Court Martial is said to have been launched on Friday at the Scorpion Mess, Asokoro, Abuja, amid tight security. The hearing was not opened to the press after initial invitations had been issued to defense journalists.

Entry into the site was denied while phones were confiscated as the accused members of the army were taken to the venue in a military bus around 8:53 am.

These proceedings, which were organized by the Defence Headquarters, take place alongside ongoing criminal cases that have been filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.

In the second proceeding, other suspects, including some retired military officers, a police inspector, and some civilians, appeared before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on a 13-count charge relating to treason, terrorism, and money laundering. All the suspects pleaded not guilty, but they were remanded in custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). Their next appearance will be on April 27.

The prosecution claims that the suspects conspired to overthrow the government in 2025 without reporting the plan to relevant authorities.

The parallel prosecutions have raised questions about jurisdictional authority, with Senior Advocate of Nigeria Femi Falana demanding a consolidation of all the trials in the Federal High Court. According to Falana, crimes like treason and terrorism are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court.

Falana has raised concerns over the constitutionality of the parallel prosecution process, with one set of suspects facing military tribunals while others are prosecuted in civilian courts on similar charges. According to Falana, courts-martial do not have jurisdiction over constitutional crimes of such enormity.

The military maintains that the crime was discovered through internal intelligence and subsequent arrest, while the families of the suspects and rights activist Omoyele Sowore demand a transparent trial process.