The Federal Government on Monday presented video recordings before the Federal High Court in Abuja in a bid to establish an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The footage, tendered by the prosecution, reportedly captured some of the defendants explaining their roles to investigators in connection with the alleged coup attempt.
Those standing trial in the case marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026 include retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, serving Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, as well as Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
Also mentioned in the charge is former Bayelsa State governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who is reportedly at large after allegedly leaving the country before the plot was uncovered.
The defendants are facing multiple charges, including treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money laundering linked to alleged terrorist activities.
At the resumed hearing, the prosecution played a video in which two of the defendants—retired Captain Victor and Inspector Ibrahim—admitted being aware of the planned coup, while the first defendant, Maj. Gen. Gana (retd.), denied any knowledge of such plans.
In his statement, Gana said he retired from the Nigerian Army in 2010 as Chief of Defence Logistics and had since lived a quiet life. He acknowledged knowing the alleged coordinator of the plot, Colonel M. A. Ma’aji, but insisted he was unaware of any plan to overthrow the government.
He explained that Ma’aji had previously expressed frustration over stalled promotion but maintained that he never suspected any coup intentions. Gana added that he would have reported such plans to the authorities if he had known.
The retired general also addressed allegations linked to a N2 million transfer traced to him, as well as claims that he shared a coup speech originally delivered by Joshua Dongayaro during a past military takeover. He admitted forwarding the material and other anti-government messages via WhatsApp but said he neither created nor altered them.
He denied conducting surveillance around the Presidential Villa or participating in efforts to raise funds for the alleged plot.
In his own statement, retired Captain Victor admitted knowing Ma’aji and being aware of discussions about overthrowing the government. He said his failure to report the matter was due to their personal relationship.
Victor stated that he discouraged the idea and advised Ma’aji to consider retirement instead. He further disclosed that he was approached to provide financial support, assist in raising funds, and help secure accommodation, with promises of a government appointment if the plan succeeded.
He, however, maintained that he declined all requests, although he continued communicating with the alleged mastermind through a secure messaging platform using coded language.
Expressing regret, Victor told investigators he felt remorseful and pleaded for leniency, describing his situation as “being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Inspector Ibrahim, who is attached to the State House, told investigators that his initial involvement stemmed from efforts to assist Ma’aji with promotion through contacts. He said discussions later shifted to plans to overthrow the government.
He admitted receiving between N1.4 million and N1.5 million and participating in reconnaissance activities around the Presidential Villa, including Aguda House. According to him, he took photographs of parts of the complex and discussed possible access routes.
The inspector also revealed that coded terms such as “fertiliser” and “farming” were used to refer to funding and operational plans. He, however, claimed he never believed the plot could succeed and only went along due to poor judgment.
Defence lawyers challenged the admissibility of the video evidence, arguing that their clients’ statements were not made voluntarily. However, trial judge Justice Joyce Abdulmalik overruled the objection and allowed the footage to be played in open court.
The court subsequently ordered a trial-within-trial to determine whether the statements were obtained under duress.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants, sometime in September 2025, conspired to wage war against the state in an attempt to intimidate the President, an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
They were further accused of having prior knowledge of the alleged plot but failing to inform the authorities, as well as not taking reasonable steps to prevent its execution.
Additional charges relate to terrorism offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The defendants had earlier pleaded not guilty to the 13-count charge upon their arraignment on April 22 and were remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services pending the determination of the case.
The matter was adjourned until Tuesday for continuation of hearing.
Alleged Coup Plot: FG Presents Video Evidence as Trial of Six Suspects Continues in Abuja
