The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday played video recordings in which a retired naval officer and a serving police inspector allegedly admitted having prior knowledge of a plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The recordings, presented by the prosecution, formed part of proceedings in the ongoing trial of six defendants accused of involvement in the alleged coup.
In the footage played before the court, a retired Navy Captain, Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, and a police inspector, Ahmed Ibrahim, were heard making statements to investigators regarding their awareness of the alleged plot.
Inspector Ibrahim, who was attached to the State House, admitted during interrogation that he received between N1.4m and N1.5m to carry out reconnaissance around the Presidential Villa. He said the assignment included taking photographs of sensitive areas, including the President’s residence and its surroundings, as well as identifying possible access routes.
He further disclosed that coded language such as “fertiliser” and “farming” was used in discussions to refer to funding and operational plans.
Ibrahim, however, claimed that his actions were influenced by poor judgment and his relationship with the alleged mastermind, insisting he did not believe the plot could be successfully executed due to the tight security at the State House.
Also in the video, Victor admitted that he was aware of discussions about overthrowing the government but failed to report the matter to authorities. He told investigators that the alleged mastermind, identified as Colonel M.A. Ma’aji, had expressed frustration over stalled promotion and, “out of anger,” spoke about toppling the government.
Victor said he advised Ma’aji against such plans and suggested retirement instead. He added that he was approached to provide financial support and assist in sourcing funds for the operation, as well as securing accommodation for the plotters, with promises of a government appointment if the plan succeeded.
The retired naval officer maintained that he declined all requests and was not part of any operational arrangement. However, he admitted maintaining communication with the alleged plotters via a secure messaging platform where coded language was used.
Expressing remorse, Victor told investigators he regretted not reporting the matter, attributing his silence to his personal relationship with the principal suspect. He appealed for clemency, describing his situation as “being at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“I feel so bad that I find myself in this situation,” he said, urging the authorities to forgive him in view of his years of service in the Navy.
Meanwhile, a former Major General, Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, also featured in the video, denied any knowledge of the coup plot. He told investigators that although he knew Ma’aji, he was unaware of any plan to overthrow the government.
Gana admitted forwarding a past coup speech and some anti-government messages via WhatsApp but insisted he neither authored nor edited the materials. He also denied participating in any reconnaissance mission or fundraising efforts linked to the alleged plot.
During the proceedings, defence counsel objected to the admissibility of the video evidence, arguing that the statements were not made voluntarily and should not be played in open court before being formally admitted.
However, the trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, overruled the objections and allowed the videos to be played, noting that such procedure aligns with standard court practice.
The judge, however, held that a trial-within-trial would be conducted to determine the voluntariness of the statements.
The court subsequently adjourned the case till Tuesday for continuation of trial.
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