By Frontline Reporters

The Federal High Court in Abuja has admitted into evidence statements, video recordings and other exhibits tendered by the Federal Government against six individuals standing trial over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration through a coup d’état.

The exhibits admitted by the court on Thursday include extrajudicial statements made by the defendants before a Special Investigation Panel and military police authorities.

Those standing trial are retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana; retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor; serving Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim; Zekeri Umoru; Bukar Kashim Goni; and Abdulkadir Sani.

They are facing a 13-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering allegedly connected with terrorist activities.

The defendants had challenged the admissibility of their statements, arguing that they were obtained involuntarily through coercion and in violation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

Their lawyers also alleged that their clients were denied access to legal representation during interrogation and pointed to discrepancies between the video recordings and the written statements presented by the prosecution.

Although the Federal Government urged the court to dismiss the objections, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik ordered a trial-within-a-trial to determine whether the statements were made voluntarily.

The issue arose during the testimony of the fourth prosecution witness.

However, delivering her ruling on Thursday, Justice Abdulmalik held that the defendants had failed to establish their claims that they were coerced into making the statements.

The judge described their allegations of duress as an afterthought and rejected their claims of torture, subsequently admitting the written statements and accompanying video recordings as evidence in the substantive trial.

The court adjourned the case until December 7 and 10 for continuation of the hearing.

Defendant recounts alleged plan to cut power supply to Presidential Villa

During earlier proceedings, one of the defendants, Zekeri Umoru, reportedly disclosed on May 20 that discussions had taken place on how to disconnect electricity supply to the Presidential Villa in Abuja to facilitate the alleged coup.

Umoru, an employee of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc attached to the Maintenance Department at the Presidential Villa, made the disclosure in a video recording played before the court.

He reportedly said he warned those involved that such an operation would immediately trigger investigations and lead to the detention of workers on duty at the Villa.

The defendant further alleged that the purported mastermind of the plot, Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji, offered him money through the third defendant, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, to recruit between 18 and 19 people working within the Presidential Villa.

According to his account, the proposed recruits included military personnel, officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Julius Berger employees.

Umoru also told investigators that Ma’aji allegedly expressed a desire to gain access to the Presidential Villa, saying he could achieve the objective “with force” even if those approached from within the premises refused to cooperate.

Similarly, the sixth defendant, Islamic cleric Sheikh Abdulkadir Sani, reportedly told investigators in another video recording that he had warned those allegedly behind the plot that their plan would fail and that their activities would eventually be exposed.

Abdulkadir, a Zaria-based Islamic cleric, said he was informed about the alleged conspiracy and subsequently approached to offer prayers against the disclosure of information concerning the activities of those involved.

Ex-Bayelsa governor mentioned in charge

Also mentioned in the charge filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation is former Bayelsa State Governor and former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

The former minister was reportedly said to be at large, having allegedly left the country before the purported coup plot was exposed.

The Federal Government accused the defendants of conspiring in September 2025 to wage war against the state with the intention of overawing President Tinubu, 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 Colonel Ma’aji and others but failed to alert the appropriate authorities.

They were also accused of allegedly providing assistance to the purported conspirators by withholding information about the plot from the President or an appropriate peace officer.

According to the prosecution, the defendants failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the alleged offence despite having knowledge of the purported plan.

Other allegations against them border on terrorism-related offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, including conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism in Nigeria.

The six defendants had pleaded not guilty to all 13 counts when they were arraigned before the court on April 22. They were subsequently remanded in DSS custody pending the determination of the case.

In an earlier ruling, the court granted the Federal Government permission to protect the identities of witnesses drawn from the Nigerian Army because of the sensitive nature of the proceedings.

The prosecution has also presented three bank officials who tendered financial records and other documents, including correspondence obtained from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as part of its evidence.

The trial is continuing, with the court expected to hear further testimony and examine additional evidence presented by the prosecution and defence.

ADVERTISEMENTS: