The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed December 7, 2026, to deliver its ruling on the admissibility of statements and video recordings sought to be tendered by the Federal Government in the trial of six alleged coup suspects.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik fixed the date on Wednesday after prosecution counsel, Maryam Okorie, and lawyers representing the defendants adopted their written addresses and presented arguments for and against the admissibility of the evidence.
The trial-within-trial was initiated to determine whether the statements made by the defendants during interrogation were obtained voluntarily.
The Federal Government, through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, had on April 22 arraigned the six defendants on a 13-count charge.
The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, was filed on April 20 by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
The defendants are retired Major-General Mohammed Gana, retired Navy Captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni and Abdulkadir Sani, listed as the first to sixth defendants respectively.
Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who is also alleged to be connected with the case, is listed as being at large.
The defendants are facing allegations including treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security information and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
On May 11, Justice Abdulmalik ordered a trial-within-trial after defence lawyers challenged the admissibility of statements and video recordings the prosecution sought to present as evidence.
The defence argued that the statements were not made voluntarily.
The objection was raised after the prosecution had called four witnesses.
The fourth prosecution witness, an army officer identified only by the codename “AAA” for security reasons, has not yet been discharged from the witness box.
The witness had earlier tendered video recordings showing the defendants during interrogation before the trial-within-trial commenced.
The Federal Government closed its case in the trial-within-trial on June 23, while the defendants began presenting their defence on June 25.
After the defence concluded its case, the court fixed Wednesday for the parties to adopt their written addresses.
During the proceedings, the court was shown video evidence in which the fourth defendant, Zekeri Umoru, an employee of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc working in the maintenance department at the Presidential Villa, discussed an alleged plan to disrupt electricity supply to the Presidential Villa.
Umoru reportedly told investigators that he warned such an action would immediately trigger investigations and could lead to the detention of workers on duty.
He also alleged that Col. Mohammed Ma’aji, identified in the proceedings as the alleged mastermind of the coup plot, offered him money through the third defendant, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, to recruit between 18 and 19 people working within the Presidential Villa.
According to the video evidence, the proposed recruits were to include soldiers, Department of State Services officials and Julius Berger employees.
Umoru further alleged that Ma’aji wanted access to the Presidential Villa and was prepared to gain entry by force if those recruited from within the facility refused to cooperate.
The statements were made during questioning by members of the Special Investigative Panel that initially investigated the case.
The sixth defendant, Sheikh Sani Abdulkadir, an Islamic cleric and Zaria-based imam, also appeared in the video evidence played before the court.
Abdulkadir reportedly told investigators that he had warned other suspects that the alleged plan would fail and that those involved would eventually be exposed.
He said he was informed about the alleged plot and was brought in to pray against the disclosure of information concerning the activities of those allegedly behind it.
The court’s December 7 ruling will determine whether the disputed statements and video recordings can be admitted as evidence in the ongoing trial.
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