An Islamic cleric standing trial over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that millions of naira deposited into his account were payment for spiritual services, not coup financing.
Sheikh Bukar Kashim Goni is among six defendants facing a 13-count charge of treason, terrorism, conspiracy, and failure to report an alleged plan to overthrow the government, in a case filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, the court reviewed video evidence showing the cleric being interrogated by security operatives who confronted him with financial records allegedly linking him to the principal suspect in the case, Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji.
Goni told investigators he relocated to Karu in Abuja after fleeing insurgency in Maiduguri, and maintained that his relationship with the military officer was purely religious. He said Ma’aji sought prayers over career challenges, including delayed promotion. He denied any involvement in political or military activities.
Prosecutors challenged that account directly. Investigators pointed out discrepancies between the cleric’s claims and financial records, noting that funds had been transferred to him as early as March 2023, months before the promotion issues he referenced. They also drew attention to a N10 million transfer recorded in October 2024. Security operatives further highlighted coded language in recorded exchanges between the two men, including references to “access” and “work tools,” which they argued pointed to a coordinated military operation rather than spiritual consultations.
Co-defendant Also Denies Plot
In a second video played before the court, Zekeri Umoru, a Julius Berger Nigeria Plc employee attached to the maintenance department of the Presidential Villa, told investigators that his contact with key figures in the case began in May 2025, through the third defendant, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, who was also attached to the Presidential Clinic. Umoru said Ibrahim introduced him to a man named Hassan Mohammed, who he later identified as Colonel Ma’aji, under the pretence of offering him electrical work at a construction site.
Umoru denied knowingly participating in any coup plot, but admitted receiving several cash payments, including a Ghana Must Go bag allegedly containing N8.8 million. He said he believed all transactions were tied to legitimate business opportunities.
Earlier court sessions had featured video evidence in which some defendants allegedly admitted to coded communications, meetings, and reconnaissance activities around the Presidential Villa, though they denied any concrete plan to overthrow the government.
The Defendants and the Charges
The six defendants face charges of conspiring to levy war against the state and overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code. They are also accused of having prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving Colonel Ma’aji and others, but failing to alert authorities.
The other defendants are retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, and Abdulkadir Sani. Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Bayelsa State governor Timipre Sylva, also named in the charge sheet, is listed as being at large.
All six defendants pleaded not guilty when arraigned and remain in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). Justice Abdulmalik adjourned proceedings to May 11, 12, and 13 for continuation of the trial.
