The Nigerian military has granted lawyers and family members access to individuals detained over an alleged coup plot, following months of restricted communication.
Sources familiar with the development said the access was approved at the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) detention facility in Abuja, beginning from Tuesday.
The move comes amid mounting concerns over the prolonged incommunicado detention of the suspects since their arrest in October 2025.
The development also follows criticism over reported plans to try the suspects in batches before a military-style tribunal rather than in open civilian courts, a proposal that raised questions about transparency and due process.
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Meanwhile, the Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against six defendants, including a retired Major General, a retired Naval Captain, and a serving police inspector, over alleged involvement in a coup plot and terrorism-related offences.
Those listed in the charge include Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani. They were scheduled for arraignment before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Also named in the charge, but reportedly at large, is former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
According to the charge sheet filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, the defendants are accused of treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
Prosecutors alleged that the defendants conspired in 2025 to undermine the Nigerian state, including plotting to “levy war” against the government in violation of the Criminal Code.
The charge further stated that the accused had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act but failed to report it to authorities or take steps to prevent it.
In addition, some of the defendants were accused of participating in meetings linked to terrorist activities and providing indirect support for acts intended to destabilise the country’s constitutional structure.
Financial allegations were also detailed in the charge, including claims that certain defendants handled funds suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The case has drawn public attention following protests by wives and relatives of the detained officers, who had earlier demonstrated at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, demanding either their release or a transparent judicial process.
The protesters, dressed in black, accused authorities of holding the suspects without access to legal representation or family members for over five months.
Security authorities, however, maintain that investigations uncovered a broader plot to destabilise the government.
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, had earlier disclosed that he was among top officials allegedly targeted in the supposed plot.