ALLEGED COUP PLOTTERS SET FOR ARRAIGNMENT AT NOON WEDNESDAY
ALLEGED COUP PLOTTERS SET FOR ARRAIGNMENT AT NOON WEDNESDAY
The alleged coup plotters in Nigeria's foiled treason scheme
will be arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court at
noon this Wednesday.
The Attorney-General's office confirmed the development moments ago.
On Monday, the federal government filed charges under FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026,
signed by the Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, accusing retired Major
General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector
Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani of conspiring in
2025 to "levy war against the state" and overthrow the
President—punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
The charges also allege they shared over N71 million for terrorism financing,
failed to report prior knowledge of a treasonable plot by one Colonel Mohammed
Alhassan Ma’aji and others, and neglected to prevent it. Former Minister of
State for Petroleum Timipre Sylva is named but remains at large.
In Count One, the defendants are accused of conspiring with others sometime in
2025 in Abuja to levy war against the state in order to overthrow Nigeria's
President, Bola Tinubu — an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the
Criminal Code.
Subsequent counts allege that the accused knew of an impending act of treason
and terrorism by Colonel Ma’aji and others but failed to disclose it to the
relevant authorities, in violation of the Terrorism (Prevention and
Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Particularly damning are the money laundering and terrorism financing counts.
Abdulkadir Sani, a Zaria-based cleric, is accused of indirectly retaining
N2,000,000 in a Jaiz Bank account, while Bukar Kashim Goni allegedly retained
N50 million in his First Bank account.
Zekeri Umoru faces charges of accepting N10 million in cash from Colonel Ma’aji
and retaining nearly N8.8 million in a Zenith Bank account — all sums
reasonably suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing.
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