FG charges Timipre Sylva, six others with 13 counts of alleged attempted coup

The Federal Government has filed 13 charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja against six persons, including two retired senior military officers and a serving police inspector, for alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

Specifically, they were charged with an attempt to wage war against Nigeria and commit acts of terrorism.

The defendants, including retired Major General Mohammed Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani, are scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday, April 22, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.

A former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who is also listed in the charge, is said to be at large.

The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation through the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), which filed the charge, accused the defendants of offences ranging from treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.

The prosecution accused the defendants of conspiring 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 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 the defendants, “knowing that a treasonable act was intended to be committed, did not give information thereof with all reasonable dispatch to either the President… or a peace officer.”

It also accused them 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.”

In addition to treason, the defendants are facing terrorism-related charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

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

Specifically, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru were accused of attending meetings linked to the alleged plot, “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.

Also, 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 the information to the relevant agency as soon as practicable.”

On the financial aspect, several defendants were accused of handling funds linked to terrorism financing, in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Bukar Kashim Goni allegedly “indirectly retained the aggregate sum of N50,000,000, which forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: terrorism financing,” while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly retained N2m from a similar source.

Zekeri Umoru, according to the charge, “without going through a financial institution accepted a cash payment of the sum of N10,000,000,” and also retained an additional N8.8m suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing.

Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim is also being accused of taking possession of “the sum of N1,000,000, being part of proceeds of terrorism financing.”

The case is expected to test the Federal Government’s resolve to prosecute alleged threats to national security as proceedings commence before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Recall that in October 2025, the Federal Government announced the cancellation of a ceremonial parade earlier scheduled to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary on October 1.

A few days after the announcement, reports emerged linking the cancellation to an alleged coup plot. But the Defence Headquarters dismissed the claims, insisting that the decision had no connection with any coup attempt.

Later, on October 31 precisely, authorities confirmed that 16 military officers had been arrested in the first week of October over the alleged plot, while two others were declared at large.

In January 2026, the Defence Headquarters confirmed that there was indeed a plan to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In March, family members of the detained officers appealed to President Tinubu to ensure that the suspects were tried in an open court.

The agitation continued in April, as families of the detained officers staged a protest at the entrance of the National Assembly, calling for a speedy trial and improved access to their relatives in custody.