BREAKING: Military begins court-martial proceedings against officers who plotted to topple Tinubu’s Govt

The Nigerian military has commenced court-martial proceedings against 36 personnel accused of involvement in an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The General Court-Martial was inaugurated on Friday at the Scorpion Mess, Asokoro, Abuja, under tight security and behind closed doors, despite prior invitations extended to journalists and defence correspondents.

Access to the venue was restricted, with security operatives also barring the use of mobile phones as the accused officers were escorted into the facility around 8:53 a.m. in an Army Headquarters Garrison bus.

The proceedings, set up by Defence Headquarters, come amid parallel criminal charges already filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.

In that case, other suspects—including retired military officers, a police inspector, and civilians—were arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on a 13-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, and money laundering. They all pleaded not guilty and were remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), with an accelerated hearing scheduled for April 27.

The prosecution alleges that the suspects conspired in 2025 to topple the government and failed to report the alleged plot to authorities.

However, the dual-track prosecution has triggered legal debate over jurisdiction. Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called for the consolidation of all cases at the Federal High Court, arguing that offences such as treason and terrorism fall under its exclusive jurisdiction.

Falana questioned the legality of subjecting some suspects to military tribunals while others face civilian courts over the same allegations, insisting that courts-martial lack jurisdiction over constitutional offences of such magnitude.

The military has previously stated that the alleged plot was uncovered through internal intelligence, leading to the arrests, while families of the accused and activist Omoyele Sowore have demanded a transparent and civilian-led trial process.

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