𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆: 𝐅𝐆 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥, 𝟓 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭

The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against six suspects accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Among those to be arraigned are a retired Major General, a retired Naval Captain, a serving police inspector, and three others.

The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow, April 22, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Those named in the charge include Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani. Also listed as a defendant, but said to be at large, is former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, whom security agencies have declared wanted in connection with the alleged plot.

The charge, filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, 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.

According to the charge, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2025 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 defendants had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to alert authorities.

The Federal Government is also 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.” Financial transactions allegedly linked to terrorism financing were also traced, with Bukar Kashim Goni accused of retaining N50 million, Zekeri Umoru accused of accepting N10 million in cash and retaining N8.8 million, and Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim accused of taking possession of N1 million linked to the alleged scheme.

Investigations revealed that the alleged coup plot dated back to 2023, when conspirators initially sought to disrupt the transfer of power from former President Muhammadu Buhari to President Tinubu on May 29.

That effort reportedly collapsed due to funding shortages. The conspiracy was allegedly revived in 2025 after Timipre Sylva was accused of transferring close to N1 billion through multiple bank accounts to bankroll renewed coup preparations. Security sources alleged the plot extended to planned assassinations of top government officials, including President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.