The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before a Federal High Court in Abuja against former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, alongside a retired major general, a retired naval captain, a serving police inspector and three others over an alleged plot to overthrow the Nigerian government.
Also named in the charge are Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (retd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Victor (retd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni and Abdulkadir Sani.
The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court. Sylva, however, is said to be at large.
The charge, filed 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 bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
At the centre 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 overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
Prosecutors further alleged that the accused had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to inform authorities.
The charge stated that they, “knowing that and was intended to commit treason, did not give the information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President or a Peace Officer.”
In another count, the defendants were accused of failing to take preventive steps to stop the alleged plot, as they “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”
Beyond treason, the Federal Government is also prosecuting the suspects under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 for alleged terrorism-related offences.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism” in Nigeria.
Specifically, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru were accused of participating in meetings linked to the alleged plot, said to be aimed at advancing a political agenda capable of destabilising the country’s constitutional order.
They were further accused of providing support for terrorism by “knowingly and indirectly” aiding acts intended to undermine national security.
The charge also alleged deliberate suppression of intelligence, stating that the defendants had information that could have helped prevent the alleged acts but failed to disclose it to relevant authorities.
In addition, the prosecution detailed financial transactions allegedly tied to terrorism financing.
Bukar Goni was accused of retaining N50 million believed to be proceeds of unlawful activity linked to terrorism financing, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly retained N2 million from a similar source.
Zekeri Umoru was said to have accepted N10 million in cash outside the formal banking system and retained an additional N8.8 million suspected to be linked to terrorism financing.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of taking possession of N1 million connected to the alleged scheme.
All financial-related charges were filed under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
