Alleged coup plotters arraigned, deny charges, remanded

• Court okays accelerated hearing

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja

Six persons, including two retired senior military officers and a serving police inspector, were yesterday arraigned by the Federal Government before the Federal High Court, Abuja division, over an alleged plot to wage war against Nigeria and overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.

Consequently, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ordered their remand at the detention facility of the Department of State Service (DSS), after their plea of not guilty.

Justice Abdulmalik made the order following a request to that effect by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, who led the federal government lawyers in the trial.

Shortly after their plea was taken, Fagbemi applied for accelerated trial of the defendants which was promptly granted by the Court along with remand at the DSS custody.

Attempts by some of the lawyers to move oral applications for bail of their clients were rejected by Justice Abdulmalik who ordered them to file formal applications.

Justice Abdulmalik fixed April 27 for commencement of trial of the accused persons.

She also ordered that their lawyers be allowed to access them for effective preparation of their defense in the charges against them.

Sunusi Musa who stood for Islamic Cleric, Sheik Abdukadir Sani Zaria, thanked the AGF for the request to remand the accused persons at the DSS custody.

He said DSS had been very civil and respects the rights of his client since he was moved from the detention facility of the Defense Intelligence Agency DIA where he claimed no one was allowed to access detainees.

One of the defendants, retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana was brought to the court in a wheelchair on accounts of his ill health and old age.

The defendants — Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (retd), retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (retd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni and Abdulkadir Sani — are billed to appear before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.

Also named in the charge but said to be at large is former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

The defendants are facing a 13-count bordering on conspiracy, attempt to commit treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, financing terrorism and money laundering.

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, accused them of offences ranging from alleged attempts to overthrow the government to terrorism-related financing.

According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2025 “to levy war against the state to overpower the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

They are also accused of failing to report alleged knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others.

The government further alleged that the defendants “knowing that a treasonable act was intended to be committed, did not give information thereof with all reasonable dispatch to either the President… or a Peace Officer.”

They were also accused of failing to prevent the alleged offence, stating that they “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”

Inspector Ibrahim and Umoru were also accused of attending meetings allegedly linked to the plot “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The charge further alleged that the defendants “knowingly and indirectly, rendered support” for acts of terrorism and also failed to disclose critical intelligence to security agencies.

Abdulkadir Sani was accused of receiving N2 million on September 23, 2025, while Goni allegedly retained N50 million from accounts linked to A & A Express Link Concept.

The charge further alleged that the defendants “knowingly and indirectly, rendered support” for acts of terrorism and also failed to disclose critical intelligence to security agencies.

Abdulkadir Sani was accused of receiving N2m on September 23, 2025, while Bukar Kashim Goni allegedly retained N50m from accounts linked to A & A Express Link Concept.

The offences, according to the charge, contravene Sections 37(2), 40(b), 26(1), 2(3)(d), 12(a), 13(1)(a), and 16(1)(a)(b) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as well as provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.