The Nigerian Army according to NewsTellers has for the fourth time postponed the ruling of the General Court Martial hearing the alleged coup plot case involving military officers accused of attempting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration….
The Nigerian Army according to NewsTellers has for the fourth time postponed the ruling of the General Court Martial hearing the alleged coup plot case involving military officers accused of attempting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The ruling according to a report by NewsTellers was initially scheduled for Wednesday, September 30, 2026, but has now been moved to Monday, October 5, further delaying the court’s decision on the admissibility of statements allegedly obtained from the accused officers.
In a notice issued to members of the court and other concerned parties, the Army said the General Court Martial sitting had been postponed.
“The GCM sitting earlier adjourned to Wednesday, 30 September, 2026, has now been postponed to Monday, 5 October 2026,” the notice stated.
The new sitting is scheduled for 10am at the Scorpion Officers’ Mess in Asokoro, Abuja. The notice was signed by Major M.U. Ardo, the liaison officer.
The Army did not state a reason for the latest postponement, adding only: “Any inconvenience caused is highly regretted.”
The ruling follows a trial-within-a-trial conducted to determine whether statements attributed to the accused officers were made voluntarily and can be admitted as evidence.
The defence has opposed the admission of the statements, alleging that some of the officers were coerced, intimidated or subjected to physical abuse by officials of the Defence Intelligence Agency.
Defence lawyers also challenged the circumstances under which the statements were obtained, arguing that lawyers or witnesses selected by some of the accused officers were not present when the statements were made.
They further argued that video recordings did not establish that the accused wrote their statements in the presence of their chosen witnesses, as required under relevant provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Evidence presented during the trial-within-a-trial also included allegations by some of the accused that intelligence officials prepared statements which they were subsequently forced to reproduce or sign.
The officers reportedly disputed portions of the statements attributed to them, saying some contained allegations or admissions they claimed were false or beyond their knowledge.
The prosecution, however, presented evidence seeking to establish that the statements were made voluntarily and without improper pressure.
The General Court Martial is presided over by Air Vice Marshal H.I. Alhaji of the Nigerian Air Force.
The latest postponement means the court will now reconvene on October 5 to rule on the disputed statements, an issue central to the ongoing proceedings.
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