A Federal High Court in Abuja admits statements and video recordings against six people accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik rules that the prosecution’s exhibits are admissible, rejecting claims by the defendants that the materials were obtained through torture, inducement, or other coercion. The judge says there is no evidence of duress when the statements were made or when the defendants appeared in the interrogations’ video.
The decision follows a court-ordered trial-within-trial, after defence lawyers challenged whether the statements and recordings were voluntary. The prosecution had called witnesses before the trial-within-trial began, including an army officer identified by a codename who earlier tendered interrogation videos. Authorities arraign the defendants on multiple counts described as involving treason-related, terrorism-linked, and security and financial offences.
Outlets largely focus on the court’s evidentiary ruling and the rejection of torture allegations, with some emphasizing the court’s handling of procedure and adjournment dates, while others foreground the specific nature of the admitted evidence.
