Court Orders Accelerated Trial Of Alleged Coup Plotters, Adjourns Case To April 27
The Federal Government on Wednesday arraigned the suspects arrested for allegedly plotting to oust President Bola Tinubu before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The Federal Government on Wednesday arraigned the suspects arrested for allegedly plotting to oust President Bola Tinubu before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, led the prosecution.
All the defendants were present in court, aside from a former Minister of Petroleum, Timiprye Sylva, who is said to be at large.
Among the defendants in court was Major General Ibrahim Gana (retd), who was in a wheelchair.
The arraignment was earlier stood down by the judge, to enable the court to get an interpreter for the sixth defendant (Sheikh Abdulkadir Sanni), who only understands Hausa and Arabic, according to his counsel.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the 13-count charge when it was read in their hearing.
Following their plea of not guilty, the AGF asked that they be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) and for an expeditious trial.
Counsel for the first defendant, Mohammed Ndayako, asked for a caveat to enable them to have access to the defendants in the custody of the DSS.
The AGF, in reply, assured them that the right to access the defendants would not be denied.
Fagbemi added that it was never brought to his notice that they (defence counsel) could not access their clients.
He said he was delighted that they were all on one page, pertaining to the accelerated trial.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, therefore, ordered an accelerated trial and that the defendants be placed in the custody of the DSS.
The case was adjourned to April 27 for trial and an accelerated hearing.
The government had on Tuesday filed a 13-count charge before the court against the suspects.
The government had filed a 13-count charge before the court against alleged coup plotters.
Among the suspects are a retired major general, a retired naval captain, a serving police inspector, and three others.
Other defendants were identified as retired naval captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani
Also listed in the charge, but said to be at large, is Sylva.
The charge, filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), accused the defendants of offences ranging from alleged treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants conspired 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.
Furthermore, the defendants were accused of failing to take preventive steps and “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence”.
Beyond treason, the defendants are facing terrorism-related charges of conspiracy under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, as they “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru were specifically 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 defendants were also accused of providing support for terrorism, alleging that they “knowingly and indirectly rendered support” to facilitate acts of terror.
The prosecution further 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”.
Several defendants were accused of handling funds linked to terrorism financing, an offence said to be in violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The cancellation of the parade to mark Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary on October 1, 2025, by the Federal Government had been reportedly linked to an alleged coup attempt.
But the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) dismissed the claims, however, saying the parade cancellation had nothing to do with the alleged coup attempt.
But in January 2026, the DHQ confirmed that there was an attempt to overthrow President Tinubu.
Its Director of Defence Information, Samaila Uba, said investigations showed some military personnel were involved in the alleged coup plot.
Uba said that the officers had been detained and would be arraigned before military judicial panels.
But last month, families of the military officers detained over the alleged coup plot appealed to Tinubu to allow the suspects to be tried in an open court.
They also asked for access to the suspects.
