The Federal Government, on Wednesday, arraigned six alleged masterminds of a plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu through a coup d’état.
The defendants were docked before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Following their pleas of not guilty to the 13-count charge, the court ordered that they be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
The remand order followed an application by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, who appeared in court to personally handle the case.
The court also ordered an accelerated hearing and adjourned the matter until April 27, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
Earlier, defence counsel, led by Mohammed Ndayako, SAN, urged the court to direct the DSS to grant them access to their clients to enable adequate preparation for their defence, noting that the defendants had been in detention since their arrest.
Among those listed as defendants in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026 is a former Governor of Bayelsa State and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under late President Muhammadu Buhari, Timipre Sylva.
Sylva, who is reportedly at large after allegedly leaving the country before the coup plot was uncovered, was arraigned in absentia.
The other defendants include retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, serving Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
The charges against the defendants border on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money laundering in furtherance of terrorism.
According to the Federal Government, the defendants, sometime in September 2025, conspired among themselves to levy war against the state in a bid to overawe President Tinubu, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
They were also alleged to have had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to inform the appropriate authorities.
The prosecution further alleged that the defendants rendered assistance to Colonel Ma’aji by failing to disclose the plot to either the President or any peace officer, and by not taking reasonable steps to prevent its execution.
Additional charges relate to offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, including conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Specifically, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru were accused of participating in meetings connected to terrorist activities “in a bid to further a political ideology capable of destabilising the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The defendants were also accused of providing support for terrorism through financial transactions linked to the alleged plot.
The prosecution alleged that Bukar Kashim Goni retained the sum of ₦50,000,000.00, believed to be proceeds of terrorism financing, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly retained ₦2,000,000.00 from a similar source.
Zekeri Umoru was accused of accepting a cash payment of ₦10,000,000.00 without going through a financial institution and retaining an additional ₦8,800,000.00 suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing.
Similarly, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was alleged to have taken possession of ₦1,000,000.00 linked to the same scheme.
All financial-related counts were brought under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
At the sitting, which commenced at about 1:46 p.m., the Attorney-General informed the court that the charge was ready and sought leave to have it read to the defendants.
Proceedings were briefly stalled after the third defendant informed the court that his counsel was indisposed, while counsel to the sixth defendant stated that his client understood only Arabic and Hausa, prompting the court to stand down the matter to secure an interpreter.
When the court reconvened at about 2:18 p.m., all six defendants took their pleas and denied the allegations.
Following the arraignment, the prosecution applied for their remand in DSS custody and requested an accelerated hearing. The request was not opposed by most defence counsel, although counsel to the first defendant indicated an intention to file a bail application.
In her ruling, Justice Abdulmalik ordered that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody with access to their lawyers and adjourned the matter until April 27, 2026, for the commencement of trial.
