Sylva, ex-Generals, others charged with coup plotting

• Fed Govt files 13-count charge against suspects

The Federal Government has charged six individuals, including former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva, a retired Major General, a retired Naval Captain, and a serving police inspector, with coup plotting.

The charges include treason, money laundering and acts of terrorism.

The 13-count charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, was filed yesterday by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).

It states that Sylva is still at large.

Listed as defendants are Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.

It was learnt that their arraignment has been scheduled for today before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The defendants are accused of offences ranging from treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.

At the centre of the case is an allegation that the defendants conspired in 2025 to undermine the Nigerian state.

According to the charge, they “conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.

The prosecution 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.

The charge stated that they, “knowing that [he] intended to commit treason, did not give the information thereof with all reasonable dispatch to either the President or a peace officer.”

In another count, the defendants were accused of failing to take preventive steps, as they allegedly “did not use any reasonable endeavour to prevent the commission of the offence.”

Read Also: Coup: allegations against Sylva unverified, says CJE

Beyond treason, the Federal Government is prosecuting the defendants for terrorism-related offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The charge alleged that they “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Particularly, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru are accused of participating in meetings linked to terrorist activities.

Prosecutors claim they acted “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The charge also accused the defendants of providing support for terrorism, alleging that they “knowingly and indirectly rendered support” to facilitate acts of terror.

In addition, the prosecution alleged deliberate suppression of intelligence, stating that the defendants “had information which would be of material assistance in preventing the commission of the act of terrorism but failed to disclose same to the relevant agency as soon as practicable.”

The case further traced financial transactions allegedly linked to terrorism financing, with multiple defendants accused of handling proceeds of unlawful activities.

Bukar Kashim Goni is alleged to have “indirectly retained the aggregate sum of N50,000,000,” while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly retained N2,000,000 from similar sources.

Zekeri Umoru, according to the charge, “without going through a financial institution accepted a cash payment of N10,000,000,” and also retained an additional N8,800,000 suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing.

Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of taking possession of N1,000,000 linked to the same alleged scheme.

All financial-related counts were brought under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The 13-count charge presents what prosecutors describe as a coordinated network involving security personnel, civilians and a politically exposed individual, allegedly connected to activities threatening national security.

The Defence Headquaters (DHQ) in January confirmed that certain individuals, including 16 military officers were under investigation for allegedly planning to topple the Tinubu Administration. The arraignment is a furtherance to the coup plot allegation.

It is expected that the military officers accused of participating in the plot will face military court martial.

The charges

•            That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani and Timipre Sylva (still at large) and others, sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code Cap C38 LFN 2004.

•            That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani and Timipre Sylva (still at large) and others, sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, knowing that Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji  (N/ 10668) and others intended to commit treason, did not give the information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or a Peace Officer and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 40(b) of the Criminal Code Cap C38 LFN 2004.

•            That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani and Timipre Sylva (still at large) and others, sometime in the year 2025 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, knowing that Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji (N/10668), and others intended to commit treason, did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 40(b) of the Criminal Code Cap C 38 (LFN) 2004.

•            That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani and Timipre Sylva (still at large) and others, sometime in the year 2025 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

•            That you, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373) and Zekeri Umoru, sometime in the year 2025 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, knowingly participated in meetings connected with an act of terrorism and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Sections 2(3)(d) and 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

•            That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani and Timipre Sylva (still at large) and others, sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court knowingly and indirectly, rendered support to Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji (N/10668) and others, to commit an act of terrorism, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 13(1) (a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

•            That you, That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani and Timipre Sylva (still at large) and others, sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court had information which you knew would be of material assistance in preventing the commission of the act of terrorism by Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji (N/10668) and others, failed to disclose the information to the relevant agency as soon as practicable, and ereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16(1)(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

•            That you, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim (AP776373), Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, Abdulkadir Sani and Timipre Sylva (still at large) and others, sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court had information which you knew would be of material assistance in securing the apprehension of Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji (N/10668) and others for an offence of terrorism, failed to disclose the information to the relevant agency as soon as practicable, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16(1)(b) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

•            That you, Abdulkadir Sani on or about the 23 day of September,2025, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, indirectly retained the sum of N2,000,000.00 (two million naira) only in your Jaiz Bank account number 0005620270 from A & A Express Link Concept, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: terrorism financing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act,2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.

•            That you, Bukar Kashim Goni, in September,2025, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, indirectly retained the aggregate sum of NS0,000,000.00( fifty million naira) only in your First Bank account number 3021511166 from A & A Express Link Concept, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: terrorism financing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act,2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.

•            That you, Zekeri Umoru, in September,2025, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, without going through a financial institution accepted a cash payment of the sum of N10,000,000.00 (ten million naira) only from Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Maa’aji and thereby committed an offence conspiracy to Sections 2(1)(a) and 19(1)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act,2022 and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) of the same Act.

•            That you, Zekeri Umoru, in September,2025, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, indirectly retained the aggregate sum of N8,800,000.00(eight million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira) only in your Zenith Bank Plc account number 2006041878, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: terrorism financing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act,2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.

•            That you, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, in September,2025, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, directly took possession of the sum of N1million only from Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji (N/ 10668), which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: Terrorism financing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act,2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act.