The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against six individuals, including two retired senior military officers and a serving police inspector, over an alleged plot to wage war against Nigeria and commit acts of terrorism.
Those listed in the charge include retired Major General Mohammed Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, April 22, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Also named in the charge, but currently at large, is former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
The charge was filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), accusing the defendants of offences ranging from treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2025 “to levy war against the state to overpower the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” an offence punishable under the Criminal Code.
They were also accused of having prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failing to inform authorities.
The charge stated that the defendants, “knowing that a treasonable act was intended to be committed, did not give information thereof with all reasonable despatch” to the appropriate authorities, and equally failed to take steps to prevent the act.
In addition to treason, the defendants face charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, with prosecutors alleging that they conspired to commit acts capable of destabilising Nigeria’s constitutional order.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru were specifically accused of attending meetings linked to the alleged plot in furtherance of a political ideology that could undermine national stability.
The Federal Government further alleged that the defendants knowingly provided support for terrorism and deliberately suppressed intelligence that could have helped prevent the planned acts.
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On the financial aspect, several of the accused were charged with handling funds suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Bukar Goni was alleged to have retained N50 million linked to unlawful activities, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly held N2 million from similar sources.
Zekeri Umoru was accused of receiving N10 million in cash outside formal financial channels and retaining an additional N8.8 million, while Inspector Ibrahim allegedly possessed N1 million tied to the same scheme.
The case is expected to test the Federal Government’s resolve to prosecute alleged threats to national security, particularly following earlier revelations of a suspected coup plot.
In January 2026, the Defence Headquarters confirmed that investigations uncovered plans to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with several military personnel implicated.
The development followed a series of events in late 2025, including the cancellation of Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary parade, which had initially sparked speculation about a coup attempt—claims later denied by military authorities.
Since then, families of detained officers have called for transparent legal proceedings, staging protests and demanding access to their relatives, as the case moves toward trial.