…As Court orders DSS remand
The Federal Government has detailed an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration, accusing a retired Major-General, Moh’d Ibrahim Gana, and several others of conspiring to destabilise the Nigerian State and financing terrorism with over ₦71 million.
The allegations are contained in a charge filed on April 20, 2026, by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, lists the defendants as retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and AbdulKadir Sani. Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, was also named but is currently at large.
Yesterday, the defendants were arraigned before Justice Joyce AbdulMalik on a 13-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money-laundering linked to terrorism financing. They all pleaded ‘not guilty’.
Following their plea, the court ordered that they be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), pending the commencement of trial. The case was adjourned to Monday for hearing.
According to the prosecution, the accused persons 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. They were also accused of failing to report intelligence about a planned coup involving a serving officer, identified as Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji, and others.
The Federal Government further alleged that the defendants participated in meetings aimed at advancing a political ideology capable of destabilising Nigeria’s constitutional order and provided both direct and indirect support for terrorist activities.
Part of the charges detail financial transactions allegedly linked to terrorism financing. Bukar Kashim Goni is accused of retaining ₦50 million believed to be proceeds of unlawful activity, while AbdulKadir Sani allegedly held ₦2 million from similar sources. Zekeri Umoru was said to have accepted ₦10 million in cash outside the banking system and retained an additional ₦8.8 million, while Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim allegedly took possession of ₦1 million tied to the same scheme.
The prosecution also accused the defendants of deliberately withholding intelligence that could have prevented the alleged acts, despite having prior knowledge of the plot.
Defence counsel, led by Mohammed Ndayako (SAN), urged the court to grant them access to their clients in DSS custody to enable adequate preparation for trial, noting that the defendants had been in detention since their arrest.
The case marks a significant development in the Federal Government’s evolving stance on an alleged coup plot that first surfaced in 2025. At the time, the Defence Headquarters had dismissed reports of a planned overthrow as false, describing the arrest of military officers as routine disciplinary measures. However, by January 2026, military authorities confirmed that intelligence gathered in late 2025 had uncovered a coordinated plan to disrupt Nigeria’s 65th Independence Day celebrations, with the alleged aim of detaining senior military commanders and key government officials.
Authorities say investigations have since been concluded, with those implicated now facing prosecution. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
