Court-Martial President Already Declared Officers Guilty Before Trial Even Started

Last Sunday, SaharaReporters dropped a bombshell about the secret court-martial of 36 military personnel accused of plotting to overthrow President Tinubu's government. The President of the court-martial reportedly declared that a prima facie case had been established against the defendants before the prosecution called a single witness or tendered any evidence. Defence lawyers immediately cried foul, saying the tribunal had already prejudged the matter.

According to court documents, the officers and soldiers were arrested between January 2022 and November 2025 in Abuja, Kaduna, and Enugu. They face 25 counts including conspiracy, mutiny, and failure to suppress mutiny under the Armed Forces Act. One defence lawyer told SaharaReporters, "At that stage, no witness had testified and no evidence had been led. Yet the court-martial stated in its ruling that a prima facie case had been established against the defendants." The lawyer for the second defendant immediately asked the panel to recuse itself.

The Judge Advocate later admitted the statement was a mistake and apologised to the court. But here is the kicker — when the defence team opposed deleting the statement from the record, the proposal was abandoned. The statement remains on the official record. And despite applying for certified copies of the proceedings, the defence has not received them. So let me ask you straight — if this was a civilian court, would we tolerate a judge saying you are guilty before hearing any evidence? Why should military justice be different?