BREAKING: FG FILES TREASON CHARGES AGAINST SUSPECTED COUP PLOTTERS, COURT HEARING FIXED FOR APRIL 22

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By: Muftau Fatimo

The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against a retired Major General, a retired Naval Captain, a serving police inspector, and three others over alleged involvement in a plot to wage war against Nigeria and commit acts of terrorism.

The defendants include Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani. They are scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, April 22, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

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

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), the charge accuses the defendants of offences including treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security information, and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.

Prosecutors allege that the defendants conspired in 2025 to undermine the Nigerian state, including plotting to “levy war against the state to overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” an offence said to be punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.

The prosecution further claims the accused had prior knowledge of an alleged treasonable plan involving Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to report it to authorities. They are also accused of not taking reasonable steps to prevent the alleged offences.

In addition, the Federal Government is pursuing charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, for terrorism-related activities.

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 N10,000,000,” 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.