Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered an accelerated hearing in the trial of six suspects accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
The court fixed April 29, April 30, May 4 and May 5 for the commencement of trial proceedings, including the hearing of bail applications filed by the defendants.
At the proceedings, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), told the court that the prosecution was ready to proceed and had witnesses available, subject to the court’s schedule.
Counsel to the first defendant, Mohammed Ilayepo, informed the court that his client’s bail application was ripe for hearing. However, Justice Abdulmalik ruled that trial proceedings would take precedence, indicating that the case would commence before consideration of the bail requests.
Lawyers representing the second, third and sixth defendants—Paul Erokoro, A.I. Yeru and N.S. Diri—raised concerns about their preparedness, citing the short notice served on them and the complexity of the charges.
Justice Abdulmalik, in her response, directed all parties to agree on dates that would ensure a speedy trial. The court subsequently adopted April 29, April 30, May 4 and May 5 for the accelerated hearing of the case.
