Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday remanded the alleged coup plotters in the Department of State Services (DSS) custody.

The judge also ordered an accelerated hearing in the case.

She 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 till April 27 for commencement of trial and for hearing of the defendants’ bail applications.

The order followed the arraignment of the six defendants by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on behalf of the Federal Government.

The Federal Government had earlier in the week filed a 13- count charge against the defendants.

The suspects are Maj-Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Capt. Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Insp. Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni and Abdulkadir Sani.

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 President Bola Tinubu, among others.

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The offence is said to be punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.