Esther Oseyiomon
The Nigerian military has commenced a General Court-Martial for more than 30 serving officers accused of involvement in an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The trial opened on Friday at the Guards Brigade Scorpion Mess in Asokoro, Abuja, amid tight security, signalling a major internal disciplinary action within the Armed Forces.
The accused officers were conveyed to the venue at about 8:53 a.m. in a Marco Polo luxury bus under armed escort, as proceedings formally got underway.
The court-martial, which is the military’s highest disciplinary mechanism, is handling the case of the serving officers, with proceedings expected to examine allegations linked to national security breaches.
In a parallel development, civilian suspects and retired military personnel connected to the alleged coup plot are being prosecuted separately at the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
They are facing charges including treason and terrorism, according to authorities overseeing the case.
All defendants in both proceedings have pleaded not guilty and remain in custody pending the outcome of their bail applications.
As of the time of filing this report, the military has yet to release detailed information on the charges or evidence being presented before the court-martial.