BY SUNDAY SAMUEL—A federal High Court sitting in Abuja has approved an expedited hearing in the case involving six individuals accused of allegedly planning to forcefully remove President Bola Tinubu from office.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik set April 29, April 30, May 4, and May 5 for the opening of proceedings and consideration of bail requests submitted by the accused persons.
During the session, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), told the court that the prosecution team had witnesses ready to testify, depending on the court’s schedule.
Counsel representing the first defendant, Mohammed Ilayepo, stated that his client’s bail request was ready for determination. However, the judge ruled that the substantive hearing would begin before any bail issues are addressed.
Lawyers representing the second, third, and sixth defendants — Paul Erokoro, A.I. Yeru, and N.S. Diri — raised concerns over limited preparation time and the intricate nature of the allegations.
Following discussions, the court instructed all parties to harmonise on suitable dates to ensure a swift hearing process, after which the above dates were confirmed for proceedings.
