ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the remand of five suspects accused of plotting to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu, as the Federal Government formally arraigned them on a 13-count charge bordering on treason and terrorism.
The defendants, brought before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their plea, the court directed that they be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services pending trial.
The remand order followed an application by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who personally prosecuted the case.
The court fixed Monday for the commencement of full hearing.
Before adjournment, defence counsel led by Mohammed Ndayako (SAN) urged the court to grant them access to their clients, noting that such access was necessary to adequately prepare their defence, as the suspects had remained in detention since their arrest.
Among those listed in the charge is former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva, who was arraigned in absentia after reportedly fleeing the country before the alleged plot was uncovered.
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Other defendants include retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, serving Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
According to the prosecution, the defendants, sometime in September 2025, conspired to levy war against the Nigerian state in a bid to destabilise the government, an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
The Federal Government further alleged that the accused had prior knowledge of a planned coup involving Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji but failed to notify authorities, thereby committing offences under Section 40(b) of the Criminal Code.
Prosecutors also accused them of aiding the alleged plot by refusing to disclose intelligence and failing to take preventive steps to avert the act.
The charge sheet detailed additional allegations under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, including conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism and participation in meetings linked to terrorist activities.
Specifically, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru were accused of attending meetings aimed at advancing a political ideology capable of undermining Nigeria’s constitutional order.
The prosecution also linked several defendants to alleged terrorism financing, citing suspicious financial transactions.
It alleged that Bukar Kashim Goni retained N50 million suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity, while Umoru reportedly accepted N10 million in cash outside formal banking channels and retained an additional N8.8 million linked to the same scheme.
Inspector Ibrahim was also accused of receiving N1 million believed to be tied to terrorism financing.
All financial-related counts were filed under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
One of the charges read, “That you. knowing that Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others intended to commit treason, did not give the information thereof and thereby committed an offence”
Another stated that the defendants “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The case marks one of the most high-profile treason trials in recent years, coming amid heightened political tensions and security concerns across the country.