The Federal High Court in Abuja has admitted written statements and video recordings tendered by the Federal Government against six persons facing trial over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a ruling on Thursday, November 5, rejected the defendants’ claims that their statements to investigators were obtained through coercion and torture.
The judge held that the defendants failed to establish that the statements were made involuntarily, describing their allegations of duress as an afterthought.
The court consequently admitted the statements obtained by the Special Investigation Panel and military police investigators, alongside video recordings of the interrogations, as exhibits in the ongoing trial.
The defendants are retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana; retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor; Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim; Zekeri Umoru; Bukar Kashim Goni; and Islamic cleric Sheikh Abdulkadir Sani.
They are facing a 13-count charge filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation over alleged offences bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering. They pleaded not guilty when arraigned on April 22, 2026.
The prosecution sought to tender the defendants’ written statements and audio-visual recordings from the investigations. Defence lawyers objected, arguing that the materials were obtained under duress and that the suspects were denied access to legal representation during interrogation.
The court had ordered a trial-within-trial to determine whether the statements were voluntarily made before ruling on their admissibility.
During the proceedings, the prosecution maintained that the defendants were informed of their rights and were not subjected to threats or intimidation. The defence challenged the account and questioned the circumstances surrounding the interrogations.
The admitted recordings include accounts attributed to some of the defendants concerning alleged plans linked to the Presidential Villa and the suspected coup operation. The allegations remain unproven, and the court’s ruling on admissibility does not amount to a finding of guilt.
The Federal Government also alleged that the defendants had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act but failed to report it to the appropriate authorities. The charge further includes allegations under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and money-laundering provisions.
Former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, was also named in the charge as being at large in connection with the alleged plot.
The court had earlier permitted the prosecution to conceal the identities of Army witnesses, citing the security-sensitive nature of the case. Bank officials have also presented financial documents as part of the prosecution’s evidence.
Justice Abdulmalik fixed December 7 and 10, 2026, for continuation of the hearing.
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