Lieutenant Colonel Sadiq Ibrahim-Gana alleged to be one of the coup plotters
By Abdullahi Abubakar
Six persons, including two retired senior military officers and a serving police inspector who were alleged to have plotted to overthrow the Nigerian government and commit acts of terrorism will be arraigned on Wednesday, April 22.
Based on this development, the Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against them.
Those named in the charge are retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni and Abdulkadir Sani.
They are scheduled to be arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Also listed in the charge, but currently said to be at large, is former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
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.
According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2025 to levy war against the Nigerian state and intimidate the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
The Federal Government further alleged that the accused persons had prior knowledge of a treasonable plot involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others, but failed to report the plan to the President or relevant security authorities.
They were also accused of neglecting to take reasonable steps to prevent the alleged offence.
Beyond the treason counts, the defendants are facing charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, for allegedly conspiring to commit terrorist acts aimed at destabilising Nigeria’s constitutional order.
The prosecution specifically accused Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru of participating in meetings linked to the alleged plot and acting in furtherance of a political ideology capable of seriously undermining the nation’s constitutional structure.
The government also alleged that the defendants knowingly rendered support to facilitate acts of terrorism and deliberately withheld intelligence that could have helped security agencies prevent the alleged offences.
Several counts relate to alleged terrorism financing and money laundering.
Bukar Kashim Goni was accused of retaining N50 million believed to be proceeds of terrorism financing, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly retained N2 million from the same source.
Zekeri Umoru was accused of receiving N10 million in cash outside the formal banking system and retaining an additional N8.8 million suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of taking possession of N1 million allegedly linked to the scheme.
The financial-related charges were filed under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
