The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against six individuals, including two retired senior military officers and a serving police inspector, over an alleged plot to wage war against Nigeria and commit acts of terrorism designed to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
The defendants—retired Major General Mohammed Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani—are scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, April 22, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. Also listed in the charge but characterized as being at large is a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
The charge, filed Monday by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions Rotimi Oyedepo, accuses the defendants of offences ranging from treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired in 2025 “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 carrying potential death penalty.
The Federal Government 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, according to Punch Nigeria. The charge disclosed the defendants, “knowing that a treasonable act was intended to be committed, did not give information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President… or a peace officer.”
They were also accused of failing to take preventive steps, as the charge stated they “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence”—suggesting they possessed advance knowledge that could have stopped the coup attempt but chose inaction.
Beyond treason, the defendants face terrorism-related charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Prosecutors alleged that they “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”—language suggesting the coup aimed not merely at changing leadership but fundamentally altering Nigeria’s governmental system.
The charge also accused the defendants of providing support for terrorism, alleging that they “knowingly and indirectly rendered support” to facilitate acts of terror. In addition, 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.”
On the financial aspect, several defendants were accused of handling funds linked to terrorism financing in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Bukar Kashim Goni allegedly “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.
Zekeri Umoru, according to the charge, “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. Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of taking possession of “the sum 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 Associated Press confirmed that Nigerian authorities disclosed they had foiled a plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu and charged six people, including a retired major general and a serving police inspector, with terrorism and treason, according to charge sheet seen by the Associated Press on Tuesday. The six people accused of treason were all in custody.
A seventh suspect, former Bayelsa state Governor Timipre Sylva, is accused of helping to conceal the plot and remains at large—raising questions about whether the former minister fled Nigeria or is hiding within the country while evading arrest.
In October 2025, the Federal Government announced the cancellation of a ceremonial parade earlier scheduled to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary on October 1. Days after the announcement, reports emerged linking the cancellation to an alleged coup plot. However, the Defence Headquarters dismissed the claims, insisting that the decision had no connection with any coup attempt.
Later that month 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. In January 2026, the Defence Headquarters confirmed that there was indeed a plan to overthrow President Tinubu.
The Director of Defence Information Samaila Uba disclosed investigations carried out in line with military procedures uncovered the involvement of some personnel in the alleged coup plot. Uba added that those implicated would be arraigned before appropriate military judicial panels.
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 press conference in Abuja, wives and relatives of the detained officers also demanded access to the accused, whom they described as alleged coup masterminds.
The agitation continued in April as families of the detained officers staged a protest at the entrance of the National Assembly, calling for a speedy trial and improved access to their relatives in custody—complaints suggesting the accused have been held incommunicado or with severely restricted visitation rights.
The coup plot allegations represent the most serious threat to President Tinubu’s government since he took office, with the involvement of retired senior military officers raising concerns about discontent within security establishments. The charging of a serving police inspector alongside retired military personnel suggests the alleged conspiracy crossed institutional boundaries.
The inclusion of former Petroleum Minister Timipre Sylva as fugitive defendant adds political dimension to what prosecutors characterize as treasonable conspiracy. Sylva’s alleged role in concealing the plot—if proven—would implicate civilian political figures in military coup planning, potentially revealing broader networks of dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s administration.
The terrorism charges layered atop treason allegations suggest prosecutors view the coup attempt not merely as unconstitutional seizure of power but as violent destabilization threatening civilian populations. The terrorism financing allegations involving tens of millions of naira indicate substantial resources were allegedly marshaled to fund the overthrow attempt.
For Nigeria, which has experienced multiple military coups throughout its post-independence history but has maintained civilian rule since 1999, the alleged plot represents potential return to destabilizing patterns that plagued previous decades. The last successful coup occurred in 1993 when General Sani Abacha seized power, beginning a brutal dictatorship that lasted until his death in 1998.
The decision to prosecute defendants in civilian Federal High Court rather than military tribunals addresses family concerns about transparency while potentially creating higher evidentiary standards than closed military proceedings. Whether trials will actually proceed openly or if national security considerations will limit public access remains to be seen.
As arraignment approaches Wednesday, fundamental questions remain about the coup plot’s scope, how many additional conspirators may exist beyond those charged, what grievances motivated the alleged attempt, and whether the plot represented serious threat or aspirational conspiracy lacking capacity for execution.
For the six defendants in custody facing potential death sentences if convicted of treason, and for fugitive Sylva whose whereabouts remain unknown, the charges represent catastrophic consequences for alleged participation in conspiracy to violently overthrow Nigeria’s constitutional government.
As President Tinubu’s administration prosecutes what it characterizes as existential threat to constitutional order, Nigerians will watch closely to determine whether evidence supports dramatic allegations or if charges represent political persecution of regime opponents disguised as national security prosecution—a pattern familiar from Nigeria’s authoritarian past that civilian governments pledged to abandon.
Punchng/AP
