Nigeria military tribunal hit by lawyers' protest over dress code in secret coup trial

Civilian lawyers representing six men accused of plotting a coup against President Bola Tinubu refused a military tribunal's order to appear in wigs and gowns during a secret trial held in a restricted facility in Abuja. Tribunal officials warned they would eject the lawyers if they did not comply, but the defence team maintained that the dress‑code directive was beyond the tribunal's authority and threatened the defendants' right to a fair hearing.

The standoff heightened concerns about the constitutionality of trying civilians before a military court and the lack of public access to the proceedings. In a related hearing at the Federal High Court, a video statement from Sheikh Sani Abdulkadir, the sixth defendant, was played, in which he admitted receiving money for prayers linked to the alleged plot but said he had warned the conspirators that their plan would fail. The dispute over the dress code remains unresolved, underscoring tensions between the military tribunal and Nigeria's legal profession.