A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled ruling for December 7, this year on the outcome of the trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness or otherwise of the statements made to investigators by the six defendants.
The defendants are retired Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Gana, retired Navy Capt. Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni and Abdulkadir Sani.
The trial-within-trial was ordered on May 11 by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik after lawyers to defendants objected to the admissibility of the defendants’ statement, arguing among others, that they were coerced into making the statements, some of which contained admissions.
Justice Abdulmalik chose the date for ruling yesterday after lawyers to the prosecution and defence made their final submissions and adopted their written addresses in relation to the trial-within-trial.
Also, the military has postponed the ruling of the General Court Martial (GCM) sitting over the alleged coup plot case involving some military officers accused of attempting to overthrow the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The court ruling, which was earlier scheduled for yesterday, has been postponed to next Monday.
While the lawyer to the prosecution, Maryam Okorie, urged the court to hold that the defendants volunteered their statements and urged the court to admit them along with other accompanying exhibits, lawyers to the defendant urged the court otherwise.
The defendants were arraigned on April 22 on a 13-count charge filed for the Federal Government by the Office of the Attorney-General of Federation (AGF).
A former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, was mentioned in the charge, but was said to be at large.
The defendants pleaded not guilty when the charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, was read to them.
They are charged with offences ranging from treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
The defendant raised objection to the admissibility of their statement when the prosecution, which had called four witnesses, applied to tender them in evidence.
In a video evidence played in court on May 20, Umoru, (the fourth defendant), was heard saying that discussions were held among the alleged plotters on switching off electricity supply to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to aid the execution of the alleged coup.
Umoru, an employee in the Maintenance Department of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, stationed in the Presidential Villa, said he warned that such an action would trigger investigations and the detention of workers on duty if such action was carried out.
He alleged that Col. Mohammed Ma’aji, the alleged coup mastermind, offered him money, through Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, the third defendant, to recruit between 18 and 19 persons working in the Villa.
Umoru said those to recruit include soldiers, officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Julius Berger staff.
He also told investigators that Ma’aji allegedly said he wanted access into the Presidential Villa and could achieve it ‘with force,’ even if those recruited from inside decline to cooperate.
The sixth defendant, Sheikh Sani Abdulkadir, an Islamic cleric, said in another video evidence that he warned the co-suspects that the plan would fail and that they would eventually be exposed.
Abdulkadir, a Zaria-based Imam, said he was informed about the plot and recruited to pray against the leakage of information about the activities of those behind it.
A notice issued by the Liaison Officer, Major M.U. Ardo, to members of the court and other concerned parties, said the sitting earlier adjourned to Wednesday had been postponed.
The notice did not give any reason for the postponement but expressed regret over any inconvenience caused by the change in schedule.
‘The GCM sitting earlier adjourned to Wednesday, 30 September, 2026, has now been postponed to Monday, 5 October, 2026,’ the notice stated.
It said the new sitting would start at 10am at the Scorpion Officers’ Mess, Asokoro, Abuja.