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Families of Alleged Coup Plotters Protest at Justice Ministry in Abuja, Demand Open Trial and Release of Detained Officers
Relatives of the alleged coup plotters stage a peaceful protest at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja on Monday, demanding an open trial.
Families and sympathisers of military officers standing trial over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gathered at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja on Monday morning, demanding an open, transparent trial and the unconditional release of their detained relatives. The peaceful but emotionally charged protest, which saw women carrying placards with inscriptions like "Tinubu Release Our Heroes" and "AGF, Stop the Kangaroo Court Martial Now," is the most visible public challenge yet to the government's handling of the sensitive case, which has been largely conducted behind closed doors.
The protesters, many of whom said they had travelled from Jos, Kano, and Sokoto, were led by Justice Isimili, who told journalists that the families had been kept in the dark about the condition of the accused and were increasingly desperate. "We are here because we want the world to see what is happening," Isimili said. "Our sons have been in detention for months. We do not know what they are being charged with, we do not know when their case will be heard, and we have not been allowed to see them. This is not justice — this is persecution."
A Warning from the North
The protest took on a sharper political edge when Abdullahi Kale, a demonstrator from Sokoto, directly linked the fate of the accused officers to the 2027 presidential election. "We are not here to beg; we are here to demand," Kale said. "If these innocent officers are not released, we will mobilise the north against Tinubu's re-election. We have families, we have friends, we have votes. They cannot treat us like this and expect our support." The threat, though made by an individual, reflects the deepening regional tension surrounding the trial, given that many of the accused officers are of northern extraction.
The protest came just days after journalists were barred from covering proceedings involving some of the accused officers, a move widely condemned by media rights groups. The Federal High Court has adjourned the trial‑within‑trial proceedings until May 12, when it is expected to rule on the admissibility of key evidence. For now, the families say they will continue to show up — at the Ministry of Justice, at the courts, and anywhere else they need to be heard.
Stay tuned to Unuevbo TV for continuing coverage of the coup plot trials, the families' protests, and the legal and political developments ahead.
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