Relatives of suspected coup plotters stage peaceful protest in Abuja

Relatives of alleged coup suspects protesting in front of the Ministry of Justice in Abuja on Monday. Relatives and sympathisers of military officers standing trial over an alleged coup plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday staged a peaceful protest at the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja, demanding an open trial and the release of the detained suspects. The demonstrators, who converged on the ministry’s entrance, chanted solidarity songs and displayed placards bearing inscriptions such as “Tinubu Release Our Heroes,” “Lt Col C Chima 419 Witness,” and “AGF, Stop the Kangaroo Court Martial Now. ” Security personnel, including operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, also, prevented the protesters from gaining access to the ministry premises and restricted them to the entrance gate.

The protest comes amid growing criticism over the handling of the alleged coup trial, particularly after journalists were barred last week from covering proceedings involving some of the accused officers. Addressing journalists during the protest, the leader of the demonstrators, Justice Isimili, indicated many of those present were relatives of the detained officers who travelled from different parts of the country. “Many of the people who turned out today are relatives of our heroes. Some of them came from Jos, Kano, and Sokoto to protest the continued detention of the alleged coup suspects who are our fathers, uncles, and brothers,” he showed.

“All we are asking is for the President, who is our father, to temper justice with mercy. We want him to come to our aid. Many of us have not been able to rest or do anything because of our loved ones who are still being held.

” He condemned what he described as the secretive nature of the ongoing court-martial proceedings. “We want an open trial instead of what they are doing in the name of court martial, where family members, journalists, and the public are denied access to the court proceedings. All we are interested in is their freedom,”. Another protester, Abdullahi Kale.