By Our Correspondent
The Federal Government has instituted a 13-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja against six individuals, including two retired senior military officers and a serving police inspector, over an alleged conspiracy to wage war against Nigeria and engage in acts of terrorism.
Those named in the charge are retired Major General Mohammed Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani. They are expected to be arraigned on Wednesday, April 22, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Also mentioned in the charge, but currently at large, is a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
The case was filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and endorsed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo. The charges include allegations of treason, terrorism, failure to disclose vital security information, and money laundering connected to terrorism financing.
According to the prosecution, the accused allegedly 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.
The government further claimed that the defendants were aware of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to inform the authorities or take steps to prevent it. They were accused of not reporting the information promptly to either the President or law enforcement agencies and of failing to use reasonable means to stop the alleged act.
In addition to the treason charge, the defendants are facing terrorism-related counts under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Prosecutors alleged that they conspired to carry out activities aimed at destabilising Nigeria’s constitutional order and provided support for terrorism.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru were specifically accused of attending meetings connected to the alleged plot in pursuit of a political agenda capable of undermining the state. The prosecution also alleged that the defendants deliberately withheld intelligence that could have helped avert terrorist acts.
On the financial aspect, some of the accused are said to have handled funds linked to terrorism financing. Bukar Kashim Goni allegedly retained N50 million believed to be proceeds of such activities, while Abdulkadir Sani is accused of holding N2 million from a similar source.
Zekeri Umoru was alleged to have received N10 million in cash outside formal financial systems and retained an additional N8.8 million suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing. Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of possessing N1 million tied to the same activities.
The case is expected to test the Federal Government’s commitment to prosecuting threats to national security as proceedings begin at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The charges follow months of investigation into an alleged coup plot uncovered in late 2025. Authorities had earlier confirmed the arrest of several military officers in connection with the plot, while others were declared wanted.
In January 2026, the Defence Headquarters announced that a plan to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been uncovered through internal investigations. The Director of Defence Information, Samaila Uba, stated that those involved would face due legal process.
Meanwhile, families of some detained officers have recently called for transparency in the trial, urging that proceedings be held in open court and that they be granted better access to their relatives.
The trial is anticipated to draw significant national attention as it progresses.
