Court admits statements of alleged coup plotters as exhibits

The Federal High Court successful Abuja on Tuesday commenced a trial-within-trial successful the ongoing prosecution of six persons accused of plotting to overthrow the authorities of President Bola Tinubu.

The trial-within-trial is aimed astatine determining whether statements allegedly made by the defendants to subject investigators were obtained voluntarily oregon nether duress, coercion, torture oregon inducement arsenic alleged by the defence.

At the commencement of proceedings, the proceedings judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik cautioned parties to restrict themselves strictly to issues relating to voluntariness of the statements and debar delving into substantive matters already pending successful the main trial.

The prosecution led by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation DPPF, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, informed the tribunal that it had 3 witnesses to attest during the trial-within-trial .

He subsequently called its archetypal witness, an serviceman of the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police, who is the 4th prosecution witnesser successful the main trial.

Led successful evidence, the witnesser told the tribunal that the defendants were calm, unagitated and afloat alert of their law rights earlier making their statements.

He maintained that the probe process complied with modular operating procedures and champion investigative practice...