Court admits evidence against six alleged coup plotters in Abuja

Court admits evidence in alleged coup case

On Thursday, 5 November 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled that the statements and video recordings of six men accused of plotting a coup against President Bola Tinubu could be admitted as evidence. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik dismissed the defendants’ claims that the material was obtained through torture, inducement or coercion, finding that the Federal Government had shown that the statements were made voluntarily. On 22 April, six individuals, including former Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, former Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani, faced the court under case number FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026 to answer thirteen specific allegations. The legal accusations encompass acts of treason, terrorist activities, the withholding of critical security information, and financial laundering schemes connected to funding terrorism. The court’s decision followed a trial‑within‑trial that began on 11 May after the defence lawyers challenged the admissibility of the evidence, arguing that the statements were not voluntarily made and that the defendants had been denied legal representation during interrogation.

Background

The case stems from an alleged plot to overthrow President Tinubu’s administration. The prosecution’s evidence includes extrajudicial statements made by the defendants before a Special Investigation Panel and military police authorities, as well as video recordings of their interrogations. One of the defendants, Zekeri Umoru, had previously revealed on 20 May that discussions had taken place about shutting off the electricity supply to the Presidential Villa in Abuja to aid the coup. Umoru, who works in the Maintenance Department of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc at the villa, said that a supposed mastermind, Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, had offered him money to recruit 18‑19 people inside the villa, including soldiers, DSS officials and Julius Berger staff. The defence argued that the defendants were coerced into making the statements and that the recordings did not match their written statements. They also claimed that the defendants were denied the right to legal representation during interrogation, a breach of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.

Why it matters

The admission of the statements and videos is a significant step in the prosecution’s case against the six men. The court’s ruling that the evidence was voluntarily obtained removes a key defence argument, potentially strengthening the case for the Federal Government. The defendants face serious charges that could carry severe penalties if convicted. The case also highlights concerns about the conduct of military interrogations and the protection of defendants’ rights under Nigerian law. The court’s decision was based on the absence of evidence that the military used torture or force to obtain the statements. The judge described the defendants’ allegations of duress as an afterthought and found no substantiation of coercion claims.

What happens next

Justice Abdulmalik set the next dates for the continuation of the trial on 7 and 10 December. No further actions or decisions were announced beyond the scheduling of these hearings. The case will proceed with the prosecution presenting the admitted evidence and the defence responding to the court’s ruling.