The Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the alleged leak of sensitive evidence from an ongoing coup plot trial after materials presented in court reportedly surfaced on social media.
The order followed claims by the prosecution that videos and other exhibits tendered during the trial later appeared online through social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, lead prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN) told the court that some of the evidence submitted in the case had been circulated on social media platforms. He noted that VeryDarkMan was present in court and urged authorities to determine how the protected materials became public.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik subsequently ordered the DSS to investigate the alleged breach and identify anyone responsible for violating existing witness protection directives issued by the court.
The judge stated that any individual found to have unlawfully published protected court materials should be identified and prosecuted in line with the law.
Counsel representing the six defendants denied any involvement in the alleged leak and challenged the prosecution to provide evidence directly linking any of them to the publication of the materials.
The case involves six men facing charges of allegedly plotting to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
Meanwhile, the court adjourned proceedings to continue a trial-within-trial aimed at determining whether statements allegedly made by the defendants were obtained voluntarily.
The prosecution has also closed its case in the trial-within-trial after presenting four witnesses, all of whom maintained that the defendants were not subjected to torture or coercion while in custody.
The court is expected to resume hearing the matter in the coming days, while a ruling on the defendants’ bail applications has been scheduled for July 20.
The development has renewed public debate over courtroom confidentiality, social media activism, freedom of information, and the management of sensitive national security cases in Nigeria.
