KEY POINTS

• The Federal Government has arraigned six defendants, including two retired senior military officers and a serving police inspector, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over an alleged coup plot.
• Former oil minister Timipre Sylva is named in the 13-count charge but remains at large, while the prosecution accuses the group of conspiring in 2025 to “levy war against the state.”
• The military has set up a separate court martial to try detained serving officers, while their wives demand fair trial and have just won lawyer access for the first time in seven months.

Prosecutors have named a familiar face in a 13-count charge over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, even though he is not in court. Former minister of state for petroleum resources Timipre Sylva remains at large, while six others face arraignment Wednesday before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

In court are retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni and Abdulkadir Sani, who appear before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.

Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the director of public prosecutions, signed the 13-count charge for the Office of the Attorney-General, which filed it Monday. The counts cover conspiracy, attempted treason, terrorism, failure to disclose intelligence, terrorism financing and money laundering.

Charges span treason and terrorism

The prosecution alleges the defendants conspired in 2025 to “levy war against the state to overawe the President.” They also failed to flag knowledge of a treasonable plan involving Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and did not move to prevent it, the charge said.

Terrorism counts allege the group attended plot meetings and indirectly supported acts of terrorism.

The money laundering counts target specific transactions. Sani allegedly took N2 million on Sept. 23, 2025; Goni retained N50 million from A & A Express Link Concept accounts; Umoru took N10 million from Colonel Ma’aji and kept N8.8 million; Inspector Ibrahim took N1 million from the same source.

The arraignment caps a months-long probe. The Federal Government canceled the October 2025 Independence Day parade, a step reporting later tied to the plot, though Defence Headquarters dismissed any link at the time. Authorities later confirmed the arrest of 16 officers and declared two more wanted, and in January 2026 Defence Headquarters said an internal probe had established a plan to overthrow Tinubu.

Wives push for fair military trial

A court martial is now under way for the serving personnel the case implicates. Sources confirmed the military will set up the panel Wednesday and has granted detained officers access to their lawyers for the first time since their arrest seven months ago.

The wives of detained officers have kept up the pressure. Nana Usman, the wife of Lt. Col Sadiq Mohammed, said serving officers will face the court martial separately, with families demanding fair judgment and clearer communication from the military.

Senior lawyers say treason conviction can carry the death penalty under Nigerian law. Mike Ahamba, SAN, said punishment depends on each defendant’s role. Bankole Akomolafe, SAN, said the judge could commute a death sentence to life imprisonment.