Justice Joyce Abdulmalik has fixed December 7, 2026, to rule on the admissibility of exhibits tendered by federal prosecutors in the trial of six defendants.
The defendants are retired Major-General Mohammed Gana, retired Navy Captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni and Abdulkadir Sani.
They were arraigned in April on a 13-count charge filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
The charges contain allegations relating to treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering connected with alleged terrorism financing.
All six defendants pleaded not guilty.
The December ruling follows arguments by prosecution counsel and the lawyers representing the defendants over whether the disputed materials satisfy the legal requirements for admission into evidence.
Admissibility disputes can become decisive in criminal trials because evidence excluded by the court cannot ordinarily be relied upon to establish guilt.
The proceedings before Justice Abdulmalik should not be confused with the separate General Court Martial involving serving military officers accused in connection with an alleged plot.
That military proceeding is dealing with its own contested statements. The court-martial has moved its ruling on the admissibility of those statements to October 5 after several postponements.
In both proceedings, defence lawyers have challenged evidence they say was improperly obtained, while the prosecution maintains that the materials should be admitted.
No defendant in either case should be treated as guilty unless the relevant tribunal or court reaches that conclusion after trial.
The December 7 ruling at the Federal High Court will therefore be an important procedural stage rather than a determination of guilt.
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News Source: The Legal Observer
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