An army officer on Wednesday testified in a Federal High Court in Abuja, linking some of the defendants and former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva to an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.
The witness, an officer from the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police, who testified under protective measures with his identity shielded, told the court that intelligence reports received by the then Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede (now Chief of Defence Staff), indicated that a serving officer, Col. Mohammed Maaji, was coordinating a coup plot involving military personnel and civilians, including Sylva.
“Upon receipt of the intelligence report, it was analysed, processed and found to be credible, and the Chief of Army Staff directed our team to investigate the allegations,” the witness stated.
He said Col. Maaji was arrested, and items recovered from him, including a Samsung Galaxy Z-series phone and a jotter, contained operational plans, names and designations of ranking members of the current administration, as well as officers marked for assassination.
Forensic examination of the phone reportedly revealed communications linking Maaji to some of the defendants. The witness also spoke of “post-coup arrangements,” including proposed changes to government institutions.
The officer further testified that financial investigations uncovered monetary transactions linking Col. Maaji, Sylva, and some of the defendants.
With assistance from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), analysis of bank records showed multiple large transfers running into hundreds of millions of naira between September and October 2025.
Investigators also visited Green Land Apartment and Brookville Hotel in Abuja, where records of meetings allegedly discussing “regime change,” assassination targets, and role assignments were recovered.
Six suspects, retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Navy Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru (an electrician at the Presidential Villa), Bukar Kashim Goni, and Islamic cleric Abdulkadir Sani are standing trial on a 13-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose treasonable information, and money laundering.
The defendants, who were arraigned on April 22, 2026, pleaded not guilty to all charges. Timipre Sylva is named in the charge sheet as “still at large.”
The prosecution, led by Rotimi Oyedepo, also presented three bank officials from Jaiz Bank, SunTrust Bank, and Providus Bank, who tendered documents relating to account correspondences with the EFCC, which were admitted in evidence.
Defence counsel, led by Muhammed Ndayako (SAN), raised objections to some of the evidence and the manner of the witness’s testimony, reserving their full arguments for the final address.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adjourned the matter to May 4, 2026, for continuation of the trial.
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