Falana Urges AGF to Halt Trial of 36 Soldiers for Treason

Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has called on the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) to halt the "illegal" trial of 36 soldiers facing charges of treason in a general court martial. In a press statement, Falana emphasized that prosecuting these military officers in a military court contravenes Section 251 of the Nigerian Constitution, which grants jurisdiction over treason-related offenses to federal high courts.

He argued that the ongoing proceedings are inappropriate and violate the principle of equality before the law. Falana noted that historically, even during military regimes, coup plotters were not tried in military courts but rather in special military tribunals established under specific decrees.

He highlighted that the current military court lacks the legal authority to try offenses related to terrorism and treason, which strictly fall under the jurisdiction of the federal high court.