Thirteen charges filed before an Abuja court against the accused....

The Nigerian Government has filed a 13-count charge before a 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.

The defendants: retired Major General Mohammed Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni and Abdulkadir Sani, are scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, April 22, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. Also listed in the charge, but said to be at large, is former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva.

The charge, filed on Monday by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by Director of Public Prosecutions Rotimi Oyedepo, accuses the defendants of offences ranging from treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.

Prosecutors alleged that the defendants conspired in 2025 “to levy war against the state to overpower the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.

The government 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.

According to the charge, the defendants, “knowing that a treasonable act was intended to be committed, did not give information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President or a peace officer.”

They were also accused of failing to take preventive steps, with prosecutors saying they “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”

Beyond treason, the defendants face terrorism-related charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, with prosecutors alleging they “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru were specifically accused of attending meetings linked to the alleged plot “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilise the constitutional structure” of Nigeria.

The charge also alleged that the defendants “knowingly and indirectly rendered support” to facilitate acts of terrorism and deliberately suppressed intelligence that could have prevented the alleged acts.

On the financial aspect, several defendants were accused of handling funds linked to terrorism financing, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Bukar Goni allegedly retained 50 million naira, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly held 2 million naira linked to terrorism financing. Zekeri Umoru was accused of accepting 10 million naira in cash outside the financial system and retaining an additional 8.8 million naira from similar sources.

Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of taking possession of 1 million naira said to be proceeds of terrorism financing.

The case is expected to test the Federal Government’s resolve to prosecute alleged threats to national security as proceedings begin in Abuja.

In October 2025, the government cancelled a ceremonial parade planned to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary. Reports later linked the move to an alleged coup plot, though the Defence Headquarters denied any connection.

Authorities subsequently confirmed the arrest of 16 military officers in October 2025 over the alleged plot, with two others declared at large.

In January 2026, the Defence Headquarters said investigations had uncovered a plan to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, adding that those implicated would face military judicial proceedings.

In March, relatives of the detained officers called on President Tinubu to ensure the suspects were tried in an open court and demanded access to those in custody.