BREAKING: Military begins court-martial of officers over alleged coup plot

The Nigerian military on Friday formally inaugurated a general court-martial to try officers accused of involvement in an alleged coup plot against the government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused personnel were conveyed to the Guards Brigade Scorpion Mess, Asokoro, Abuja, at about 8:53 a.m. under heavy security presence as proceedings commenced behind closed doors.

Journalists were denied access to the courtroom, while legal representatives were seen arriving at the venue ahead of the session.

The inauguration marks the official start of the military’s internal disciplinary and judicial process following months of investigation into the alleged plot.

According to earlier reports, the case dates back to October 2025, when about 16 serving military personnel were arrested over alleged acts of indiscipline. Subsequent investigations reportedly linked some of the officers to allegations of plotting to overthrow the constitutional government.

In total, more than 30 officers are now expected to face the court-martial proceedings.

The accused were transported to the venue in a bus under tight security, reflecting the sensitivity of the case.

In a parallel process, the Federal Government had already arraigned other suspects, including civilians and retired military officers, before a Federal High Court in Abuja over related allegations of treason and terrorism. All defendants pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody pending bail hearings.

The dual-track prosecution means serving officers are being tried under military law, while civilians and retired personnel face trial in the civilian judicial system.

Further details of the proceedings were not available at the time of filing this report.