The Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed December 7, 2026, to rule on the admissibility of evidence tendered by the Federal Government in the ongoing trial of six people accused of involvement in an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The ruling is expected to determine whether key prosecution exhibits, including extra-judicial statements and video recordings of the defendants’ interrogations, can be relied upon in the substantive trial. The defence teams have challenged the evidence, arguing that some of the statements were not made voluntarily and alleging breaches of safeguards provided under Nigerian law.
The case is being heard by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, with the defendants facing charges arising from the alleged coup plot. The Federal Government has maintained that the evidence was obtained through a lawful investigative process and has urged the court to admit the exhibits. Defence lawyers, however, have questioned the circumstances surrounding the statements and recordings, prompting the court to conduct a trial-within-trial to determine their voluntariness.
The allegations against the defendants have not been established by the court, and all defendants are entitled to the presumption of innocence until the case is finally determined. The December 7 ruling could therefore become an important stage in determining what evidence will form part of the prosecution’s case as the trial proceeds.
