By Ayodele Oni
Suspects to be arraigned Wednesday
All is now set for the arraignment of some military personnel and civilians arrested and detained in connection with an alleged coup plot against the Government of President Bola Tinubu.
The suspects are scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The suspects include former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, now at large, a retired Major General, a retired Naval Captain, a serving police inspector and three others over their alleged involvement as coup plotters in a plot to wage war against Nigeria and commit acts of terrorism.
The other suspects are, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (retd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Victor (retd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni and Abdulkadir Sani
The charge, was filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
It accuses the defendants of offences ranging from treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
According to the government, the defendants conspired in 2025 to undermine the Nigerian state.
The charges read that the defendants, “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.
The prosecution 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.
The charge states that they, “knowing that and was intended to commit treason, did not give the information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President or a Peace Officer.”
In a related count, the defendants were also accused of failing to take preventive steps, as they allegedly “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”
Beyond treason, the Federal Government is prosecuting the defendants for terrorism-related offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The charge alleged that they “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Particularly, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru are accused of participating in meetings tied to terrorist activities.
Prosecutors claim they acted “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilize the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The charge also accuses 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 a 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.”
The case further traces financial transactions allegedly linked to terrorism financing, with multiple defendants accused of handling proceeds of unlawful activities.
Bukar Kashim Goni is alleged to have “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 million” 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 N1 million linked to the same alleged scheme.
All financial-related counts were brought under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
In October 2025, the federal government abruptly cancelled the military parade scheduled for Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day celebrations, initially attributing the decision to administrative concerns.
However, speculation soon emerged suggesting the cancellation may have been linked to an alleged coup attempt, though the Defence Headquarters later dismissed such claims.
The military authorities insisted at the time that the cancellation had no connection to any subversive activity.
By late October 2025, reports indicated that about 16 military officers had been arrested in connection with the alleged plot, while two others were said to be on the run.
In January 2026, the Defence Headquarters confirmed that an internal investigation had uncovered involvement of some personnel in what it described as a coup-related scheme.
Speaking then, Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Samaila Uba, said the findings followed standard military disciplinary procedures and that affected officers would face military judicial processes.
“We conducted thorough investigations in line with established procedures, and it was established that some personnel were involved in a coup-related plan,” he said.
In subsequent months, families of the detained officers called on President Tinubu to ensure that the suspects were tried in open court rather than through internal military proceedings, Vanguard reported.
At a press briefing in Abuja in March 2026, relatives also demanded access to the detained officers, expressing concern over their prolonged detention without full disclosure of proceedings.
By April, family members staged a protest at the National Assembly , urging authorities to expedite the trial process and grant them access to their relatives.
Since the Fourth Republic, which started on May 29, 1999, Nigeria has enjoyed an uninterrupted democracy, including the transfer of power from one administration to another.
In several countries in Africa, including in West Africa, soldiers have seized control, suspended the constitution and dissolved political parties.
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