FG Files 13-count Charge Against Coup Plotters
The Federal Government on Tuesday, formally filed a 13- count charge against six individuals, including two retired senior military officers and a serving police inspector, over alleged plot to wage war against Nigeria as well as commit acts of terrorism.
The Federal Government on Tuesday, formally filed a 13- count charge against six individuals, including two retired senior military officers and a serving police inspector, over alleged plot to wage war against Nigeria as well as commit acts of terrorism.
The charge was filed before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on even as the defendants include Major General Mohammed Gana, rtd, Naval Captain Erasmus Victor, rtd, Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, Abdulkadir Sani and a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, now at large.
They are excepted to be arraigned in court tomorrow, Wednesday, April 22, 2026, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
According to 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, the defendants allegedly committed offences ranging from treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
The Federal Government also, alleged that the defendants, sometimes in 2025, conspired “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.
It was 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 appropriate authorities, as well as also, “knowing that a treasonable act was intended to be committed, butdid not give information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President… or a peace officer.”
The government also accused of failing to take preventive steps, as they “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”
Apart from treason, the defendants were further said to have committed terrorism-related charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as that they reportedly “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru were specifically accused of attending meetings linked to the alleged plot, “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” even as some other accused persons were said to have provided support for terrorism, alleging that they “knowingly and indirectly rendered support,” to facilitate acts of terror.
Furthermore, the prosecution alleged 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.”
Also, several other defendants were accused of handling funds linked to terrorism financing, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Bukar Kashim Goni reportedly and “indirectly retained the aggregate sum of N50 million, 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, also, reportedly and, “without going through a financial institution accepted a cash payment of the sum of N10 million,” and also retained an additional N8.8m suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing, just as Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of taking possession of “N1,000,000, being part of proceeds of terrorism financing.”
The case is expected to test the Federal Government’s resolve to prosecute alleged threats to national security as proceedings commence before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Federal Government had in October 2025, announced the cancellation of a ceremonial parade earlier scheduled to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary on October 1.
Days after the announcement, reports filtered, linking the cancellation to an alleged coup plot but the Defence Headquarters dismissed such claims, insisting that the decision had no connection with any coup attempt.
Later on October 31, authorities confirmed that 16 military officers had been arrested in the first week of October over the alleged plot, while two others were declared at large.
Also, in January 2026, the Defence Headquarters confirmed that there was indeed a plan to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,
Director of Defence Information, Samaila Uba, said investigations carried out in line with military procedures uncovered the involvement of some personnel in the alleged coup plot, adding that those implicated would be arraigned before appropriate military judicial panels.
However, in March, family members of the detained officers appealed to President Tinubu to ensure that the suspects were tried in an open court, at a news conference in Abuja, where wives and relatives of the detained officers also demanded access to the accused, whom they described as alleged coup masterminds.
The Federal Government also, alleged that the defendants, sometimes in 2025, conspired “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.
It was 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 appropriate authorities, as well as also, “knowing that a treasonable act was intended to be committed, butdid not give information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President… or a peace officer.”
The government also accused of failing to take preventive steps, as they “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”
Apart from treason, the defendants were further said to have committed terrorism-related charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as that they reportedly “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru were specifically accused of attending meetings linked to the alleged plot, “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” even as some other accused persons were said to have provided support for terrorism, alleging that they “knowingly and indirectly rendered support,” to facilitate acts of terror.
Furthermore, the prosecution alleged 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.”
Also, several other defendants were accused of handling funds linked to terrorism financing, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Bukar Kashim Goni reportedly and “indirectly retained the aggregate sum of N50 million, 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, also, reportedly and, “without going through a financial institution accepted a cash payment of the sum of N10 million,” and also retained an additional N8.8m suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing, just as Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of taking possession of “N1,000,000, being part of proceeds of terrorism financing.”
The case is expected to test the Federal Government’s resolve to prosecute alleged threats to national security as proceedings commence before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Federal Government had in October 2025, announced the cancellation of a ceremonial parade earlier scheduled to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary on October 1.
Days after the announcement, reports filtered, linking the cancellation to an alleged coup plot but the Defence Headquarters dismissed such claims, insisting that the decision had no connection with any coup attempt.
Later on October 31, authorities confirmed that 16 military officers had been arrested in the first week of October over the alleged plot, while two others were declared at large.
Also, in January 2026, the Defence Headquarters confirmed that there was indeed a plan to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,
Director of Defence Information, Samaila Uba, said investigations carried out in line with military procedures uncovered the involvement of some personnel in the alleged coup plot, adding that those implicated would be arraigned before appropriate military judicial panels.
However, in March, family members of the detained officers appealed to President Tinubu to ensure that the suspects were tried in an open court, at a news conference in Abuja, where wives and relatives of the detained officers also demanded access to the accused, whom they described as alleged coup masterminds.
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