Alleged coup plot: Court adjourns trial-within-trial to July 20 over interpreter dispute

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday adjourned the trial-within-trial in the alleged coup plot case involving six defendants until July 20 after disagreements over the interpretation of a defendant’s testimony stalled proceedings.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ordered the adjournment after the defence challenged the accuracy of the interpretation of testimony given in Hausa by the sixth defendant, Abdulkadir Sani, who is contesting the voluntariness of statements the prosecution seeks to tender as evidence.

Sanusi Musa (SAN),defence counsel,repeatedly argued that the court interpreters failed to accurately translate Sani’s testimony into English, prompting the judge to discharge the last interpreter.

Justice Abdulmalik directed both parties to provide a neutral interpreter familiar with the defendant’s exact linguistic background rather than relying on a general Hausa interpreter.

“Find out exactly where this witness is from,” the judge said, explaining that the court required an interpreter capable of accurately conveying the witness’s testimony for both the court and the parties.

During Tuesday’s proceedings, the defence first objected to the interpretation provided by the court’s interpreter, leading to his replacement with another interpreter. However, the defence maintained that the second interpreter also failed to accurately translate the witness’s evidence.

A third interpreter, a lawyer associated with the defence team, was subsequently invited to assist. Before taking up the role, Musa informed the court that the lawyer would cease acting as defence counsel if he proceeded as an interpreter.

As the proceedings continued, the defence again complained that the witness did not understand some of the questions put to him.

Justice Abdulmalik observed that an interpreter owes a duty to both the court and the witness, stressing the need for neutrality and accuracy in the interpretation of evidence.

The Federal Government, through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, arraigned the six defendants on April 22 on a 13-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.

The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, was filed on April 20 by Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation,.

The defendants are retired Major General Mohammed Gana, retired Navy Captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Abdulkadir Sani and Bukr Goni.

Timipre Sylva, Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources,who is also named in the charge, is listed as being at large.

The court had on May 11 ordered a trial-within-trial after the defence challenged the admissibility of statements and video recordings the prosecution sought to tender, arguing that the statements were not made voluntarily.

The objection followed the testimony of four prosecution witnesses. The fourth prosecution witness, an army officer identified only by the codename AAA for security reasons, tendered video recordings of the defendants’ interrogations before the trial-within-trial commenced and is yet to be discharged.

The Federal Government closed its case in the trial-within-trial on June 23, while the defendants opened their defence on June 25.

The proceedings are expected to resume on July 20 with a neutral interpreter.