After much delay, the Federal Government has revealed the identities of the military personnel,, police officers, and civilians who allegedly hatched a plot to forcefully overthrow the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
They comprise a former Governo of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, said to be at large, in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026 filed at the Federal High Court today.
Others are Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
In a 13-count charge, the accused are alleged to have plotted to levy war against the Federal Republic of Nigeria to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The alleged offence is said to run contrary to and punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
The alleged coup plotters are scheduled to be arraigned on April 22 before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation filed the charges, which was signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
The Federal Government accused the defendants of treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
The defendants allegedly “conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overthrow the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to alert authorities.
Beside treason, the Federal Government is prosecuting the defendants for terrorism-related offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Below are the charges against the defendants:
COUNT 1:
That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (Rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (Rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani, Timipre Sylva (still at large), and others, sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code, Cap C38, LFN 2004.
COUNT 2:
That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (Rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (Rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani, Timipre Sylva (still at large), and others, sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowing that Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji (N/10668) and others intended to commit treason, did not give the information thereof with all reasonable dispatch to either the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or a peace officer, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 40(b) of the Criminal Code, Cap C38, LFN 2004.
COUNT 3:
That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (Rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (Rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani, Timipre Sylva (still at large), and others, sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowing that Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji (N/10668) and others intended to commit treason, did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 40(b) of the Criminal Code, Cap C38, LFN 2004.
COUNT 4:
That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (Rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (Rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani, Timipre Sylva (still at large), and others, sometime in the year 2025 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 5:
That you, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373) and Zekeri Umoru, sometime in the year 2025 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilize the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, knowingly participated in meetings connected with an act of terrorism, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Sections 2(3)(d) and 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 6:
That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (Rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (Rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani, and Timipre Sylva (still at large), sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, knowingly and indirectly rendered support to Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji (N/10668) and others to commit an act of terrorism, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 13(1)(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 7:
That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (Rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (Rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani, and Timipre Sylva (still at large), sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, had information which you knew would be of material assistance in preventing the commission of an act of terrorism by Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji (N/10668) and others, failed to disclose the information to the relevant agency as soon as practicable, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 6(1)(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 8:
That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (Rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (Rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP 776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani, and Timipre Sylva (still at large), sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, had information which you knew would be of material assistance in securing the apprehension of Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji (N/10668) and others for an offence of terrorism, failed to disclose the information to the relevant agency as soon as practicable, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16(1)(b) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 9:
That you, Abdulkadir Sani, on or about the 23rd day of September, 2025, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly retained the sum of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Naira) only in your Jaiz Bank account number 0005620270 from A & A Express Link Concept, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: terrorism financing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
COUNT 10:
That you, Bukar Kashim Goni, in September 2025, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly retained the aggregate sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) only in your First Bank account number 3021511166 from A & A Express Link Concept, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: terrorism financing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
COUNT 11:
That you, Zekeri Umoru, in September 2025, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without going through a financial institution, accepted a cash payment of the sum of N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) only from Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 2(1)(a) and 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act.
COUNT 12:
That you, Zekeri Umoru, in September 2025, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly retained the aggregate sum of N8,800,000.00 (Eight Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) only in your Zenith Bank Plc account number 2006041878, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: terrorism financing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
COUNT 13:
That you, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, in September 2025, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, directly took possession of the sum of N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) only from Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji (N/10668), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: waging war against the state, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.
