Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
An Islamic cleric facing trial over an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu has insisted that the over N10 million found in his bank account was paid to him strictly for prayers and charitable purposes, denying any involvement in what the federal government describes as a conspiracy to levy war against the state. Sheikh Bukar Kashim Goni made the claim during the continuation of his trial before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, where the court viewed video evidence of his interrogation by security operatives. Goni, who was the fifth defendant in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, maintained that his only relationship with the alleged coordinator of the attempted coup, Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, was strictly religious, adding that the military officer had sought his spiritual intervention after facing delays in promotion and other personal challenges. However, investigators in the video recording challenged his explanation using financial records that showed transfers to him began as far back as March 2023, months before the promotion issues he claimed, including a ₦10 million transfer said to have been made in October 2024.
Goni, who told investigators he relocated to Karu in Abuja after fleeing the Boko Haram insurgency in Maiduguri, insisted he had no knowledge of any illegal plan nor any involvement in political or military activities. He further claimed that he had never discussed any plot to overthrow the government and that communications with Ma’aji involving references to “access” and acquiring “work tools” were not related to any planned coup despite investigators' claims that such coded language pointed to a broader operation.
The court also viewed video recordings of other defendants, including Zekeri Umoru, a staff member of Julius Berger Nigeria assigned to the maintenance department of the Presidential Villa. Umoru, who was the fourth defendant, told investigators he was “misled” by co‑suspects into believing that large cash payments he received, including a “Ghana Must Go” bag containing over ₦8.8 million and over ₦10 million in total, were related to legitimate business opportunities. He said his contact with the alleged coup coordinator began through the third defendant, Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, who introduced him to a man he initially believed was a civilian businessman seeking electrical work at a building under construction. He also claimed that he later became uncomfortable with the repeated cash payments and only pressed for clarification after receiving a total of over N10 million. He added that Ibrahim had told him that Ma’aji was unhappy with the state of the country and planned to “sanitise the government” with the support of unnamed associates described as “boys”.
Separate video evidence previously played in open court showed that two other defendants, retired Navy Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor and Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, had admitted to investigators that they were aware of the alleged plot to overthrow the Tinubu administration. The first defendant, retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, denied any knowledge of the plot in the video. The video recordings were admitted as evidence after the court overruled objections from defence lawyers that their clients had not made the statements voluntarily, with Justice Abdulmalik stating that a trial-within-trial would be conducted to ascertain the volunteers of the statements.
The Federal Government alleges that the defendants conspired in September 2025 to wage war against the state to overawe President Tinubu, an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code. The defendants are also accused of failing to report the plot to appropriate authorities, thereby rendering assistance to the alleged coordinator, and of money laundering linked to the conspiracy. All six defendants pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned on April 22, 2026, and remain in the custody of the Department of State Services pending trial. A former Governor of Bayelsa State and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has also been named in the charge sheet as a financier of the alleged plot and is currently reported to be at large. The court has adjourned further hearing in the case until May 11, 12, and 13, 2026, for the continuation of the trial.
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