The Federal Government has slammed a 13-count charge of treason, conspiracy, terrorism, among others, against suspected coup plotters who are currently in detention.
A retired Major General, a retired Naval Captain, a serving police inspector, and three others are to appear before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday for an alleged coup plot and acts of terrorism.
The suspected coup plotters are Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani, as well as former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who is at large.
The Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, in the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, signed and filed the charges, which include treason and terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
Also, the defendants in 2025 “conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overthrow the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
Other offences against the defendants include possession of prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others, but failed to report to the authorities, and “knowing that and intending to commit treason, did not give the information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President or a Peace Officer.”
The suspected coup plotters were accused of failing to take preventive steps, as they allegedly “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence,” just as they are being prosecuted for terrorism-related offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
They are also accused of “conspiracy with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The FG noted that, particularly, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru are accused of participating in meetings linked to terrorist activities, adding that they acted “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Also, they are accused of supporting terrorism, and “knowingly and indirectly rendered support” to facilitate acts of terror.
In addition, the prosecutor accused them of a deliberate suppression of intelligence, adding that they “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.”
The FG said it r traced financial transactions allegedly linked to terrorism financing, as many defendants allegedly handled proceeds of unlawful activities, adding that one 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.
The charge accused Zekeri Umoru of “without going through a financial institution, accepting 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 charged with taking possession of N1 million linked to the same alleged scheme, and all financial-related counts were brought under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The 13-count charge presents what prosecutors describe as a coordinated network involving security personnel, civilians, and a politically exposed individual, allegedly connected to activities threatening national security.
