Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against six individuals, including a retired Major General, a retired Naval Captain, a serving police inspector, and three others, over an alleged plot to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu. The defendants, named in court documents as Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (retired), Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (retired), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani, are scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, April 22, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. Also named in the charge, but said to be at large, is a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
The charge, filed on Monday by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), accuses the defendants of offences ranging from treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing. At the heart of the case is an allegation that the defendants conspired in 2025 to undermine the Nigerian state. According to the charge, they “conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overpower the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code. The prosecution further alleged that the defendants had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to alert authorities. The charge states that they, “knowing that a treasonable act was intended to be committed, did not give the information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President or a peace officer.” They were also accused of failing to take preventive steps, as they allegedly “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”
Beyond treason, the Federal Government is prosecuting the defendants for terrorism-related offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The charge alleged that they “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” Particularly, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru are accused of participating in meetings linked to the alleged plot. Prosecutors claim they acted “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” The charge also accused the defendants of providing support for terrorism, alleging that they “knowingly and indirectly rendered support” to facilitate acts of terror. In addition, the prosecution alleged a deliberate suppression of intelligence, stating that the defendants “had information which would be of material assistance in preventing the commission of the act of terrorism, but failed to disclose the information to the relevant agency as soon as practicable.”
The case further traces financial transactions allegedly linked to terrorism financing, with multiple defendants accused of handling proceeds of unlawful activities. Bukar Kashim Goni is alleged to have “indirectly retained the aggregate sum of N50,000,000, which forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: terrorism financing,” while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly retained N2 million from a similar source. Zekeri Umoru, according to the charge, “without going through a financial institution accepted a cash payment of the sum of N10,000,000” and also retained an additional N8.8 million suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing. Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of taking possession of N1 million linked to the same alleged scheme. All financial-related counts were brought under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The development follows a series of events that first brought the alleged coup plot to public attention. In October 2025, the Federal Government abruptly cancelled the ceremonial parade planned for Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, sparking widespread speculation about a possible coup attempt. At the time, the Defence Headquarters dismissed such claims, maintaining that the cancellation was unrelated to any security threat. However, later that month, reports indicated that at least 16 military officers had been arrested in connection with the alleged plot, while two others were declared at large. In January 2026, the Defence Headquarters formally confirmed the existence of a conspiracy to overthrow the government, stating that investigations had uncovered evidence implicating several military personnel. The arrests triggered reactions from families of the detained officers, who have continued to demand transparency and due process. In March, relatives appealed to President Tinubu to allow an open trial and grant them access to the suspects. The agitation intensified in April when family members staged a protest at the entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja, demanding a speedy trial and the right to see their detained relatives.
In a related development, a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered the immediate release of a prominent Islamic scholar, Sheikh Sani Abdulladir Zaria, who had been detained since December 2025 by the Defence Intelligence Agency and the Department of State Services over allegations of associating with one of the indicted coup plotters. Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the cleric’s detention without trial for over two months breached his constitutional rights and imposed a fine of N2 million each on the DIA and DSS, to be paid to the 75-year-old scholar. The court also ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Jaiz Bank to pay N1 million each as compensation for freezing his bank account without a court order.
With the filing of formal charges at the Federal High Court, the case against the alleged coup plotters is now set to proceed through the judicial system. The arraignment scheduled for Wednesday will test the Federal Government’s resolve to prosecute what security authorities have described as a coordinated attempt to undermine Nigeria’s constitutional order. The case is expected to draw significant public attention as it raises broader concerns about national security, civil-military relations, and adherence to the rule of law in Africa’s most populous democracy.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments