Former Bayelsa state governor, Timipre Marlin Sylva was conspicuously absent as the federal government on Wednesday arraigned six suspects over allegations of plotting a coup to oust President Bola Tinubu.
Sylva was one of the alleged sponsors of the coup plotters.
The suspects were arraigned on a 13-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism. They all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following the arraignment, Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), applied that the defendants be remanded in custody of the Department State Service (DSS). He also asked the court for an accelerated hearing.
An attempt by some of the lawyers to move oral applications for bail of their clients was rejected by Joyce Abdulmalik, the presiding judge, who ordered them to file formal applications.
Muhammed Ndayako, counsel to Muhammed Ibrahim Gana, the first defendant, said he has applied for bail but was only able to serve the prosecution today in court.
He asked for a short adjournment to come back and move the application. Other counsels for the defendants aligned with the position.
Sunusi Musa, a senior advocate who appeared for the sixth defendant, Abdukadir Sani Zaria, an Islamic cleric, thanked the AGF for the request to remand the accused persons at the DSS custody.
He said that the DSS had been “very civil” and respected the rights of his client since he was moved from the facility of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), where he claimed no one was allowed to access detainees.
Abdulmalik fixed April 27 for the commencement of trial.
She also ordered that their lawyers be allowed to access them for effective preparation of their defence.
The defendants in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026 include Gana; Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, a retired navy captain; Ahmed Ibrahim, a serving police inspector; Zekeri Umoru; Bukar Kashim Goni and Abdulkadir Sani.
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