The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday barred journalists from covering the bail hearing for six defendants accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, ordering reporters out of the courtroom just before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik took her seat.
Court officials and operatives of the Department of State Services told reporters to leave after they had arrived as early as 8:00 a.m., forcing them out at about 9:07 a.m. The same court had only last Wednesday arraigned the six defendants on a 13-count charge, they all pleaded not guilty, and Abdulmalik fixed April 27 for their bail applications while ordering that they remain in DSS custody.
The hearing came as the case deepened into one of the most serious public security prosecutions in Abuja this year. The defendants are facing charges bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose information and money laundering, while Timipre Sylva was mentioned in seven of the 13 counts but was not listed as a defendant.
The broader investigation has also reached beyond the six men in the dock. At least 40 suspects, including serving and retired military personnel as well as civilians, were said to have been arrested in connection with the alleged plot, and 36 serving officers have already been arraigned before a court-martial sitting at the Guards Brigade Scorpion Mess in Asokoro.
Falana said military authorities had convened a General Court Martial for the trial of the 36 officers accused of attempting to overthrow Tinubu. In his remarks, he said the Convening Order issued on April 23, 2026, prescribed dress for prosecutors and defence counsel, including No 4 dress for officers, No 5 dress for soldiers and robes for civil lawyers, while warning that counsel who appear improperly robed could face the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for professional misconduct.
The legal stakes are high even by Nigerian standards. News Pidgin said treason can carry death sentence or life imprisonment, that section 37 of the Criminal Code Act punishes levying war against the state, and that failing to report a known treason plot can bring life imprisonment. It also said counts four to eight rest on the Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022, carrying up to 20 years for certain related offences, while counts nine to 13 are based on the Money Laundery Prohibition Act of 2022, which provides prison terms of five to 14 years.
The courtroom exclusion, though, underscored the immediate tension in the case: the state is pressing one of the gravest accusations in its criminal code, but the public was not allowed to watch the first bail fight unfold. With the hearing set for April 27 and the accused still in DSS custody, the next key test is whether the court will keep the proceedings tightly controlled or open them to the scrutiny usually expected in a case this serious.
