Court orders DSS probe after VeryDarkMan is linked to leaked coup trial materials.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate allegations by the prosecution that part of the evidence tendered in court and served on lawyers representing the defendants was displayed on social media.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik also directed that if any material circulating on social media contravened the court’s earlier order protecting witnesses, the DSS should investigate and ensure that anyone responsible is brought to justice.
The judge stated that the investigation should proceed while the trial continues, noting that all the defendants, through their lawyers, denied any involvement in the alleged leak.
Counsel to the prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), informed the court midway through proceedings that he had received information that some videos tendered as evidence in the case had been posted on social media by activist VeryDarkMan.
He further told the court that the individual was present among those observing the proceedings.
Oyedepo urged the court to order an investigation to determine how the materials came into VeryDarkMan’s possession.
When invited by the judge to respond, all six defence lawyers denied any involvement in the alleged leak.
Some of the defence counsel requested that Oyedepo file a formal application supported by an affidavit to enable them respond appropriately.
The court then proceeded to hear the bail applications filed by the defendants.
While defence lawyers urged the court to grant bail on liberal terms, the prosecution asked that the applications be dismissed.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter to June 25 and June 30 for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd defendants to conduct their defence in the trial-within-trial. The 4th, 5th and 6th defendants are scheduled to present theirs on July 1 and July 2.
The judge also fixed July 20 for ruling on the bail applications.
Earlier, the prosecution urged the court to admit statements made by the defendants to investigators as evidence.
The fourth prosecution witness in the trial-within-trial, identified as “DDD”, told the court that the statements were made voluntarily and that the defendants were not subjected to torture, intimidation or harassment.
Led in evidence by Oyedepo, the witness denied allegations made by the defendants, including claims that they were tortured into making statements in which five of them, excluding the first defendant, allegedly admitted knowledge of the plot.
Responding to claims that the defendants’ feet were chained, the witness said:
“It is not true. The feet of the defendants were not chained; they walked into the interview room by themselves.”
He added that if they had been chained, the sound would have been heard in the video recordings played in court earlier on Tuesday.
Addressing concerns over the absence of lawyers during the interviews, the witness said none of the defendants requested the presence of legal representatives, family members, officials of the Legal Aid Council or a Justice of the Peace (JP).
He urged the court to admit both the statements and the audio-visual recordings of the interview sessions as evidence in the trial.
During cross-examination by defence lawyers, the witness maintained that the defendants did not make their statements in the presence of lawyers, family members, Legal Aid Council officials or a JP.
He nevertheless insisted that the defendants were neither tortured nor compelled to make the statements.
At the end of the cross-examination, Oyedepo announced the closure of the prosecution’s case in the trial-within-trial after calling four witnesses.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the six defendants are being prosecuted over their alleged involvement in a plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu.