The Nigerian military has set up a general court-martial to try 36 personnel accused of involvement in an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The court-martial, constituted by the Defence Headquarters, was inaugurated on Friday at the Scorpion Mess in Asokoro, Abuja, under tight security. Despite the high-profile nature of the case, proceedings were held behind closed doors.
Accredited journalists, including defence correspondents who had earlier been invited, were denied entry to the venue. Security officials also prohibited the use of mobile phones as the 36 defendants were brought in an Army Headquarters Garrison bus around 8:53 a.m.
The military trial is taking place alongside separate criminal proceedings initiated 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 same alleged plot before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. The defendants, including retired military officers, a police inspector, and civilians, pleaded not guilty to a 13-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, and money laundering.
The prosecution alleges that the group conspired in 2025 to overthrow the government and failed to report the plot to authorities. The court subsequently ordered their remand in the custody of the Department of State Services, with an accelerated hearing scheduled for April 27.
The parallel legal processes have sparked debate among legal experts. Human rights lawyer Femi Falana urged the Attorney-General to invoke Section 174 of the Constitution to halt the military proceedings and consolidate all cases at the Federal High Court.
He argued that under Section 251 of the Constitution, offences such as treason and terrorism fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, questioning the legality of trying some suspects in a civilian court and others before a military tribunal for the same allegations.
“Courts-martial lack the jurisdiction to handle such grave constitutional offences,” Falana stated.
The military had earlier disclosed that the alleged coup plot was uncovered through internal intelligence, leading to multiple arrests. Families of the accused, alongside activist Omoyele Sowore, have also called for a transparent civilian trial to safeguard the fundamental rights of the defendants.