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Behind Closed Doors: Military Court-Martials 36 Officers Over Coup Plot as Falana Calls Trial "Illegal"
The Nigerian military has formally commenced one of its most consequential judicial proceedings in decades. On Friday, April 24, 2026, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) inaugurated a General Court Martial (GCM) to try 36 serving military personnel over allegations of mutiny and a failed attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The officers, who have been in detention since October 2025, now face being tried for a plot that — had it succeeded — would have abruptly ended more than a quarter-century of uninterrupted civilian rule in Africa's most populous nation. The next sitting has been confirmed for May 8, 2026, when the accused will be arraigned and expected to enter their pleas.
The trial, held at the Guards Brigade Scorpion Officers' Mess in Asokoro, Abuja, is shrouded in almost total secrecy. Journalists who arrived as early as 8:00 a.m. to cover the inaugural proceedings—some formally invited by military authorities—were abruptly turned away at the entrance by security operatives. "There was no order to allow the media to cover," the operatives told reporters. The DHQ spokesman, Major General Samaila Uba, confirmed to AFP that all subsequent sittings would also be held "behind closed doors, with no media access." The secrecy has been sharply criticised by senior lawyers including Femi Falana (SAN), who has described the trial as "illegal," arguing that treason and terrorism offences fall outside the jurisdiction of a military court-martial.
The Accused: From Brigadier General to Lieutenant
The 36 officers, who arrived at the Scorpion Mess at approximately 8:55 a.m., conveyed in an Army Headquarters Garrison bus closely followed by a Defence Intelligence Agency detention vehicle, represent a cross-section of the armed forces across all three services. Among those identified by the Daily Trust are Brigadier-General M. A. Sadiq, Colonel M. A. Ma'aji—named by prosecutors as the alleged ringleader—Lieutenant-Colonel I. M. Hussain, Lieutenant-Colonel M. Almakura, Lieutenant-Colonel P. Dangnap, Lieutenant-Colonel S. Bappah, Lieutenant-Colonel A. A. Hayatu, and Lieutenant-Colonel S. M. Gana.
The list also includes Wing Commander I. U. Yusuf of the Nigerian Air Force, Major M. M. Jiddah, Major H. Yusuf, Major A. D. Dauda, Major J. M. Ganaks, Lieutenant-Commander D. B. Abdullahi of the Nigerian Navy, Squadron Leader S. B. Adamu, Squadron Leader N. G. Zuzu, along with several captains and lieutenants. The proceedings are being presided over by Air Vice Marshal H. I. Alhaji as President, with Lieutenant Colonel A. Mohammed serving as Judge Advocate. Other panel members include Major Generals U. T. Opuene, I. B. Abubakar, N. U. C. Ogili, S. A. Emmanuel, and F. U. Mijinyawa; Rear Admirals D. M. Ndanusa and M. K. Igwe; and Air Vice Marshals M. A. Isah and A. O. Kotun. The panel was constituted pursuant to the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
From Denial to Admission: How the Plot Unravelled
The timeline of the alleged coup plot traces a path from official denial to reluctant acknowledgment. Rumours first surfaced in October 2025 when the government abruptly cancelled a planned military parade to mark Nigeria's 65th Independence Anniversary, with the Presidency citing undisclosed "security threats." At the time, the Defence Headquarters dismissed reports of a coup attempt, with then Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau (rtd), stating that approximately 16 senior and junior officers had been arrested over "acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations."
Gusau offered an explanation that now appears almost disingenuous in hindsight: the arrested officers' grievances, he said, "stemmed largely from perceived career stagnation caused by repeated failure in promotion examinations." Some were reportedly already undergoing "disciplinary procedures for unrelated offences." But the narrative unravelled in January 2026 when the Armed Forces of Nigeria issued a revised statement, confirming that a failed coup plot had indeed been uncovered following a "comprehensive investigation" that "carefully examined all circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel." The military's quiet acknowledgment of a threat to constitutional authority sent tremors through Nigeria's political establishment.
Parallel Justice: Military Court-Martial and Civilian Prosecution
The GCM proceedings run alongside a parallel civilian prosecution. On Tuesday, April 22, the Federal Government arraigned six individuals before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja on a 13-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026. The defendants—retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, serving Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru (an electrician at the Presidential Villa), Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani (an Islamic cleric)—all pleaded not guilty.
Former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva has been named as a conspirator in the charge but is listed as "at large." Sylva's Abuja residence was raided by investigators in October 2025; his spokesman has stated he was in the United Kingdom for medical treatment. An INTERPOL warrant has reportedly been activated for his extradition.
In a development that sparked widespread condemnation from press freedom advocates, Justice Abdulmalik on April 27 ordered journalists barred from covering the civilian trial. Prosecutors made no formal application for a secret trial, yet security personnel acting on the judge's express instruction cleared the courtroom of reporters, locked the doors, and proceeded in chambers. Premium Times reported that "a court official and an SSS operative directed reporters to vacate the courtroom," signalling "what appears to be the authorities' preference for a secret trial."
Legal Pushback: Falana, Effiong Dispute Legality of Court-Martial
The dual trials have ignited sharp debate within Nigeria's legal community over the legitimacy of prosecuting treason before a military tribunal. Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has been the most prominent critic, calling on the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to "terminate the illegal charge" before the court-martial and instead prosecute all suspects at the Federal High Court. Falana further warned that the Convening Order issued on April 23 by Major General A. M. Alechenu—which requires civilian lawyers to appear robed and military lawyers to wear combat dress—contravenes the Rules of Professional Conduct 2023 and could expose practitioners to disciplinary action.
Inibehe Effiong, another prominent human rights lawyer, warned against what he described as "double jeopardy," arguing that military suspects should be tried at the Federal High Court first because a court-martial conviction for the same offence constitutes a second punishment. He noted: "If they are tried at the civil court and convicted, they can then be court-martialled for violation of service law." However, Tolu Babaleye defended the military's approach, arguing that "military law recognises court-martial" and that "as a military man, the day you join the military, you have signed away your rights."
A DHQ statement, signed by Major General Samaila Uba, sought to address transparency concerns. "Proceedings of the court will be conducted with the highest standards of fairness, impartiality and strict adherence to due process guaranteeing that justice will be served without fear or favour. All cases will be addressed within extant legal frameworks of the military justice system," it read. The DHQ added that it "remains resolute in upholding professionalism, discipline and the rule of law while ensuring that the rights of all personnel are respected and the tenets of fair hearing upheld."
A Defining Test for Nigeria's Democratic Institutions
The trial of 36 military officers for allegedly plotting to overthrow a democratically elected government forces Nigeria to confront uncomfortable truths. The secrecy surrounding both the military and civilian proceedings sits uneasily with democratic norms, and the refusal to accommodate public and media scrutiny fuels suspicions — however unfair — that the pursuit of justice risks being compromised by political calculation. The May 8 resumption of the court-martial will be a critical test: not just of the military's commitment to its own rule of law, but of civilian institutions' resolve to insist that coups, even failed ones, are tried with the transparency that democracy demands.
Stay tuned to Unuevbo TV for continuing coverage of the coup trial and its implications for Nigeria's democratic stability.
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