The Federal Authorities has introduced a 13-count cost bordering on treason towards six people over an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by means of a coup d’état.
The cost, filed earlier than the Federal Excessive Courtroom in Abuja by the Workplace of the Lawyer-Common of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, lists former Minister of State for Petroleum Assets, Timipre Sylva, as a defendant. Others named embody retired Main Common Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State, was stated to be at giant on the time the cost was filed.
In response to the Federal Authorities, the defendants are accused of conspiring to levy conflict towards the state in a bid to intimidate or overawe the President, an offence punishable below Part 37(2) of the Felony Code.
They had been additionally alleged to have had prior information of a deliberate treasonable act involving Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others however did not report it to the authorities.
The federal government additional claimed that the defendants neither disclosed the data promptly nor took affordable steps to forestall the alleged offence.
Along with treason, the costs embody terrorism-related offences below the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Prosecutors alleged that the defendants conspired to hold out acts geared toward destabilising Nigeria’s constitutional construction in pursuit of a political ideology.
Among the accused had been additionally linked to conferences linked to terrorist actions, whereas others had been stated to have offered materials or {financial} help for terrorism.
The federal government alleged that Goni retained N50 million suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing, whereas Sani allegedly held N2 million from an analogous supply.
Umoru was accused of receiving N10 million in money outdoors the banking system and retaining an extra N8.8 million linked to the identical scheme. Inspector Ibrahim was additionally accused of possessing N1 million tied to the alleged operation.
All financial-related costs had been filed below the Cash Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The defendants are anticipated to be arraigned earlier than Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Hypothesis a few coup plot first emerged in October 2025 after the federal government cancelled a deliberate navy parade to mark Nigeria’s sixty fifth Independence Anniversary, citing safety issues. Though the navy initially denied any such plot, it later introduced in January that 16 officers would face courtroom martial over an alleged try and overthrow the President.
It stays unclear whether or not the present costs are separate from the navy proceedings.
Sylva has beforehand denied any involvement in a coup plot, describing the allegations as politically motivated after his residence was searched by investigators. An arrest warrant was additionally issued towards him in a separate case by the anti-corruption company.
In the meantime, reactions from his associates have been restricted. One affiliate, who spoke anonymously, expressed warning, noting the sensitivity of the allegations.
A Bayelsa elder and convener of the South South Reawakening Group, Joseph Ambakederimo, known as for due course of, urging that the case shouldn’t be politicised and that the courtroom be allowed to find out the matter based mostly on proof.