The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against six persons accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
Those named in the charge include retired Major General Mohammed Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani. A former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, was also listed but is said to be at large.
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 (SAN), borders on alleged treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
According to the prosecution, 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.
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.
The charge stated that the accused, while “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.” It added that they “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”
Beyond treason, the defendants are also facing terrorism-related charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, for allegedly conspiring “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.”
The prosecution also accused the defendants of providing material support, alleging that they “knowingly and indirectly rendered support” to facilitate acts of terror, and deliberately withheld intelligence that could have prevented the alleged plot.
According to the charge, 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.”
Financial transactions linked to the alleged conspiracy also featured prominently in the charge.
Bukar Kashim Goni allegedly “indirectly retained the aggregate sum of ₦50,000,000, which forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: terrorism financing”, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly retained ₦2 million from a similar source.
Zekeri Umoru was accused of accepting “without going through a financial institution… a cash payment of the sum of ₦10,000,000″ and retaining an additional ₦8.8 million suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing. Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of taking possession of “the sum of ₦1,000,000, being part of proceeds of terrorism financing.”
The case follows months of tension over reports of an alleged coup plot. In October 2025, speculation had linked the Federal Government’s decision to cancel the Independence Day parade to security concerns. However, the Defence Headquarters dismissed the claims at the time.
In January 2026, the Defence Headquarters confirmed that there was an attempt to overthrow President Tinubu. The Director of Defence Information, Samaila Uba, said investigations revealed the involvement of some military personnel, who have since been detained and are to face military judicial proceedings.
