The Federal Government of Nigeria has finally revealed the identities of the military, police, and civilians who allegedly plotted to forcefully overthrow the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
They include a former Governor 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 be 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 charge was filed by the Office of the Attorney-General
of the Federation and 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 further 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.
Apart from 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.
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