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yesterday

Six Plead Not Guilty in Nigeria Coup Case as Judge Sets April 27 Trial

Prosecutors pursue treason and terrorism counts from the alleged 2025 plot with a key suspect still at large.

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A security personnel stands guard outside the Federal High Court during the trial of suspects accused of plotting to overthrow the government in Abuja, Nigeria, April 22, 2026. REUTERS/Marvellous Durowaiye
A security personnel stands guard outside the Federal High Court during the trial of suspects accused of plotting to overthrow the government in Abuja, Nigeria, April 22, 2026. REUTERS/Marvellous Durowaiye
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Overview

  • The six defendants, who appeared in Abuja on Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to 13 counts and were placed in Department of State Services custody.
  • Judge Joyce Abdulmalik set April 27 for the next hearing after granting an accelerated schedule and directed defense lawyers to file written bail motions.
  • Prosecutors charged retired Major-General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana and five others with treason, terrorism, and terrorism financing, and a serving police inspector is among the accused.
  • Charge papers and prior reporting describe a plan to storm the Presidential Villa, capture or kill top leaders, and support alleged mastermind Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji.
  • It remains unclear whether serving officers linked to the case will face court‑martial or federal trial, a key test for civil–military relations in a democracy restored in 1999 during a regional rise in coups.