Nigeria uncovers coup plot against Tinobo; prosecution witness reveals surprise

books: Mohammed Omran

Witnesses Nigeria One of the most sensitive security issues in recent years, after authorities revealed what they describe as a coup attempt aimed at overthrowing President Bola Ahmad Tinbo, amid a wide-ranging military trial involving dozens of officers from the army, navy and police.

Nigeria uncovers coup plot against Tinobo; prosecution witness corroborates confessions of navy and police officers.

These developments coincide with intensive court hearings in the capital, Abuja, where 36 military personnel are appearing before a closed military court, while a federal court is considering a separate case involving six senior officers, focusing on the legality of the confessions on which the prosecution relied.

The prosecution maintains the validity of the investigations, asserting that the defendants gave their statements voluntarily during the interrogation, while the defense team challenges these confessions, considering that they were extracted under duress, which raises doubts about their validity as evidence in the case.

During the hearings, the main prosecution witness, a military police officer, gave testimony confirming that all the defendants had given their confessions freely and without coercion, noting that they were in a stable psychological state during the investigations, and that they had been informed of all their legal rights, including the right to remain silent and to seek legal counsel.

The witness added that some of the accused, including high-ranking officers in the navy and police, cooperated with the investigators and provided written statements after giving their oral statements, and parts of the investigations were videotaped and presented as evidence before the court.

The defense team questioned the integrity of the procedures, pointing to what it described as procedural flaws related to the lack of full documentation of all stages of the investigation, the lack of direct legal supervision during the recording of confessions, in addition to discrepancies in some of the dates included in the official records.

During his interrogation, the witness acknowledged some procedural shortcomings, but stressed that the investigations were conducted in accordance with approved military rules, while denying any allegations of torture or coercion, and confirming that the defendants did not request the presence of lawyers while giving their statements in the investigations.

Nigerian sources indicate that the hearings will continue in the coming days, until all witnesses have been heard and questioned, before a decision is made regarding the statements taken from the six defendants during the investigations conducted by the military police. This trial is receiving considerable attention in Nigeria.