The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday admitted statements and video recordings of six alleged coup plotters as evidence in their trial, ruling that they were voluntarily obtained during military interrogation.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik dismissed the defendants’ objections that the statements and recordings were obtained through torture, inducement and coercion, holding that the prosecution had established that the materials were voluntarily obtained.
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In her ruling on a trial-within-trial, the judge described the allegations of duress as an afterthought, saying the defendants failed to provide evidence that they were tortured or forced to make the statements.
The Federal Government, through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, arraigned the six defendants on April 22 on a 13-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
The trial-within-trial followed objections by defence lawyers to the admissibility of the statements and video recordings tendered by the prosecution. They argued that the materials were not voluntarily obtained and should be excluded from evidence.
Justice Abdulmalik ordered the separate hearing on May 11 after four prosecution witnesses testified, including an Army officer identified by the codename AAA, who tendered video recordings of the defendants’ interrogations.
Following the dismissal of the objections, the court admitted the statements and recordings as exhibits in the substantive trial.
The judge adjourned the case until December 7 and 10 for continuation of the trial.
