The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the remand of alleged coup plotters in the Department of State Services (DSS) custody.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a ruling, also ordered accelerated hearing in the case.
Justice Abdulmalik equally ordered the DSS to give the lawyers and family members access to the defendants within a reasonable time.
The judge then adjourned the matter until April 27 for commencement of trial and for hearing of the bail applications of the defendants.
The order followed the arraignment of the six defendants by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, on behalf of the Federal Government.
The Federal Government had filed a 13-count charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, against the defendants.
The suspects are retired Maj-Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Capt. (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor , Insp Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni and Abdulkadir Sani, listed as 1st to 6th defendants respectively.
Although the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, is not named as a defendant in the charge, he is listed as being at large.
The defendants were accused of alleged treason and terrorism, including failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
At the centre of the case is an allegation that the defendants conspired in 2025 to undermine the Nigerian state.
They were alleged to have conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, among others.
The offence is said to be punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
Earlier when the case was called, all the lawyers to the parties were in court except counsel to the 3rd defendant (Insp Ahmed Ibrahim).
Ibrahim, who sought the attention of the judge, said all efforts to brief his lawyer for the hearing were unsecessful.
The judge then directed that the case should proceed since the matter was for their arraignment and lawyers do not enter plea for defendants.
