Six people, including two retired senior military commanders and a serving police inspector, face a 13-count charge filed by the Federal Government at the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly plotting a coup to wage war against Nigeria and carry out terrorist acts.
On Wednesday, April 22, the defendants—retired Major General Mohammed Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani—will be arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Timipre Sylva, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, is also mentioned in the accusation but is reportedly at large.
The prosecution 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 Federal Government further claimed that the defendants neglected to notify authorities despite having previous information of a planned treasonous conduct involving Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others.
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, as the charge stated that they “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”
