The federal government has arraigned six suspects over
allegations of plotting a coup to oust President Bola Tinubu.
The suspects were arraigned on Wednesday on a 13-count
charge bordering on alleged terrorism. They all pleaded not guilty to the
charge.
Following the arraignment, Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general
of the federation (AGF), applied that the defendants be remanded in custody of
the Department State Service (DSS). He also asked the court for an accelerated
hearing.
An attempt by some of the lawyers to move oral applications
for bail of their clients was rejected by Joyce Abdulmalik, the presiding
judge, who ordered them to file formal applications.
Muhammed Ndayako, counsel to Muhammed Ibrahim Gana, the
first defendant, said he has applied for bail but was only able to serve the
prosecution today in court.
He asked for a short adjournment to come back and move the
application. Other counsels for the defendants aligned with the position.
Sunusi Musa, a senior advocate who appeared for the sixth
defendant, Abdukadir Sani Zaria, an Islamic cleric, thanked the AGF for the
request to remand the accused persons at the DSS custody.
He said that the DSS had been “very civil” and respected the
rights of his client since he was moved from the facility of the Defence
Intelligence Agency (DIA), where he claimed no one was allowed to access
detainees.
Abdulmalik fixed April 27 for the commencement of trial.
She also ordered that their lawyers be allowed to access
them for effective preparation of their defence.
The defendants in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026
include Gana; Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, a retired navy captain; Ahmed Ibrahim,
a serving police inspector; Zekeri Umoru; Bukar Kashim Goni and Abdulkadir
Sani.
Although Timipre Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa, was
mentioned in the charge, he is said to be at large.
The defendants are accused of waging a war against Nigeria
and committing acts bordering on treason and terrorism.
THE ALLEGED COUP PLOT
On September 29, 2025, the federal government announced the
cancellation of a parade earlier scheduled to celebrate the country’s 65th
independence anniversary on October 1.
Days later, there were reports that the cancellation of the
independence anniversary event was linked to an alleged coup attempt.
However, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) dismissed the
reports, insisting that the cancellation had no links to the alleged coup
attempt.
On October 31, 2025, TheCable reported that 16 military
officers were arrested in the first week of the month over the alleged coup
attempt, while two other officers were on the run.
In January 2026, the DHQ confirmed that there was a plot to
overthrow Tinubu.
Samaila Uba, the DHQ director of defence information, said
investigations conducted in line with established military procedures found
some personnel involved in a coup plot. He said the officers would be arraigned
before relevant military judicial panels.
In March, family members of military officers detained over
an alleged coup plot appealed to Tinubu to allow the suspects to be tried in an
open court.
During a press conference in Abuja, wives and other family
members of the detained officers also requested access to the alleged coup
masterminds.
In April, families of the detained military officers
protested at the entrance of the national assembly, demanding a speedy trial
and access to their relatives.
In the charge sheet, the federal government accused the
defendants of treason and terrorism and failure to disclose security
intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
The federal government alleged that the defendants conspired
with one another to “levy war against the state to overawe the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Bukar Kashim Goni was 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.
Umoru was alleged to have “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.
Ibrahim, the police inspector, was also accused of taking
possession of N1 million linked to the same alleged scheme.
Ibrahim and Umoru were accused of participating in meetings
tied to terrorist activities.
“That you, MAJOR GENERAL MOHAMMED IBRAHIM GANA -(RTD),
CAPTAIN (NN) ERASMUS OCHEGOBIA VICTOR -(RTD), INSPECTOR AHMED IBRAHIM
(AP776373), ZEKERI UMORU, BUKAR KASHIM GONI, ABDULKADIR SANI, TIMPRE SYLVA
(still at large) and others, sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired with one another to levy war
against the state to overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 37(2)
of the Criminal Code Cap C38 LFN 2004,” part of the charge sheet reads.
“That you, MAJOR GENERAL MOHAMMED IBRAHIM GANA -(RTD),
CAPTAIN (NN) ERASMUS OCHEGOBIA VICTOR -(RTD), INSPECTOR AHMED
IBRAHIM(AP776373), ZEKERI UMORU, BUKAR KASHIM GONI, ABDULKADIR SANI, TIMPRE
SYLVA(still at large) and others, sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within
the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowing that COLONEL MOHAMMED
ALHASSAN MA’AJI (N/10668) and others intended to commit treason, did not give
the information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or a Peace Officer and thereby committed an
offence contrary to and punishable under Section 40(b) of the Criminal Code Cap
C38 LFN 2004.”
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