The Nigerian military has again postponed the ruling of the General Court Martial handling the alleged coup plot case involving some military officers accused of attempting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The ruling, which was scheduled for Wednesday, September 30, 2026, has now been moved to Monday, October 5.
A notice issued to members of the court and other parties said the sitting had been rescheduled to 10am at the Scorpion Officers’ Mess in Asokoro, Abuja. The notice was signed by Major M.U. Ardo, the liaison officer.
The military did not give a reason for the latest postponement but expressed regret over any inconvenience caused.
The latest development marks the fourth time the ruling has been deferred.
The court is expected to rule on the admissibility of statements allegedly obtained from some of the accused officers during a trial-within-a-trial.
Defence lawyers have challenged the statements, alleging that some of the officers were subjected to coercion, intimidation and other forms of pressure by officials of the Defence Intelligence Agency.
The defence has also questioned the circumstances in which the statements were obtained, including allegations that some officers did not have their chosen lawyers or witnesses present and that required video recordings were not made.
Some of the accused officers have testified that they were allegedly forced to reproduce statements prepared by investigators and that some of the contents were unrelated to what they knew.
The prosecution, however, has presented evidence aimed at establishing that the statements were voluntarily made and should be admitted as evidence.
The General Court Martial, presided over by Air Vice Marshal H.I. Alhaji of the Nigerian Air Force, will now reconvene on October 5 to determine the issue.
