The Federal Government of Nigeria on Wednesday arraigned six individuals, including two retired senior military officers and a serving police inspector, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.
The defendants — Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Gana (retd.), Navy Capt. Erasmus Victor (retd.), Insp. Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni and Abdulkadir Sani — were charged on 13 counts bordering on treason, terrorism and money laundering.
Also named in the charge but currently at large is former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva.
The prosecution, led by Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, accused the defendants of conspiring in 2025 to “levy war against the state” with the intent of removing the president.
All six defendants pleaded not guilty before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Following the plea, the prosecution requested an accelerated hearing and asked that the defendants be remanded in custody of the Department of State Services. Defense counsel, led by Mohammed Ndayako, made oral applications for bail and sought access to their clients.
In a brief ruling, Justice Abdulmalik ordered that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody and adjourned the case until April 27, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
According to the charge marked FHC/ABJ/206/2026, the defendants allegedly failed to disclose intelligence relating to a planned coup and did not take reasonable steps to prevent it despite prior knowledge.
The government also alleged that the accused conspired to commit acts of terrorism under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and were involved in financing such activities.
Prosecutors said Goni retained 50 million naira linked to terrorism financing, while Sani allegedly held 2 million naira from similar proceeds. Umoru was accused of accepting 10 million naira in cash outside the banking system and retaining an additional 8.8 million naira suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing. Ibrahim was also accused of receiving 1 million naira tied to the alleged scheme.
The charge further alleged that some of the defendants attended meetings aimed at advancing a political ideology capable of destabilizing Nigeria’s constitutional order.
The arraignment follows earlier confirmation by the Defence Headquarters in January 2026 of an attempted coup involving certain military personnel.
Meanwhile, the military has granted lawyers and family members access to individuals accused in the alleged coup plot after months of restricted contact. Sources said access was approved at the Defence Intelligence Agency detention facility in Abuja beginning Wednesday.
The development follows concerns over limited access to detainees since their arrest, as well as criticism of plans to try suspects in batches before a military-style tribunal rather than in civilian courts.
Earlier, wives of some detained officers staged a peaceful protest at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, demanding either their release or a transparent judicial process. Carrying placards, the women alleged their husbands had been held incommunicado for more than five months without access to lawyers or family members.
The officers were initially arrested in October 2025 for alleged acts of indiscipline and breaches of military regulations.
In a related case, a cleric, Sheikh Sani Zaria, was detained without a court order for allegedly associating with one of the suspects. A Federal High Court judge criticized the Defence Intelligence Agency for failing to comply with an order to produce him in court, stressing that the agency must operate within the rule of law.
The judge said constitutional provisions guaranteeing fair hearing apply to all citizens and ordered the attorney general to ensure compliance with the court’s ruling.
The cleric has been in custody since December 2025 following the discovery of 2 million naira in his Jaiz Bank account allegedly linked to one of the suspects. Although he agreed to forfeit the money, authorities said he remains in custody pending further investigation.
