Nigeria, May 11 -- The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered a trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of extra-judicial statements the prosecution tendered in the alleged coup plot trial of a retired army major-general and five others.

Judge Joyce Abdulmalik made the order after the prosecution sought to tender the extra-judicial statements attributed to the defendants, along with video recordings, as evidence.

The defence lawyers took turns objecting to the admissibility of the statements and video recordings the prosecution sought to tender, arguing that the statements were not made voluntarily.

They also maintained that the circumstances of the collection of the exhibits breached safeguards under the Administrat...