The General Court Martial handling the alleged coup case involving some Nigerian military officers has postponed its ruling for a fourth time, with the tribunal now scheduled to deliver its decision on Monday, October 5, 2026.
According to SaharaReporters, the ruling had been expected on Wednesday, September 30, but a fresh notice circulated to members of the court and other parties involved in the proceedings announced the change. The next sitting is scheduled for 10am at the Scorpion Officers’ Mess in Asokoro, Abuja.
The notice, signed by Major M.U. Ardo, the court’s Liaison Officer, did not state why the ruling was moved. It only expressed regret over any inconvenience caused by the change.
The decision before the court concerns the admissibility of statements attributed to some of the officers facing the military trial over an alleged plan to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. The issue came before the tribunal after defence lawyers challenged the circumstances under which the statements were obtained.
The objections led to a trial-within-a-trial, during which the defence alleged that some officers were subjected to pressure, intimidation and other forms of coercion by officials of the Defence Intelligence Agency. Some of the accused also disputed authorship of statements attributed to them, alleging that they were made to reproduce documents prepared by investigators.
The prosecution, however, presented evidence seeking to establish that the statements were made voluntarily and without improper pressure. The court’s ruling on the disputed statements will determine whether the prosecution can rely on them as evidence as the military proceedings continue.
