Six people accused of plotting to overthrow Nigerian President Bola Tinubu were arraigned before a Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to all 13 charges against them, in the most serious treason prosecution since Tinubu assumed office in 2023.
The charges, filed on April 20 by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and signed by Director of Public Prosecutions Rotimi Oyedepo, span treason, terrorism, terrorism financing, suppression of intelligence, and money laundering. Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who presided over the arraignment, adjourned proceedings to April 27 for bail applications.
The six defendants are retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Navy Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, serving Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, a Presidential Villa electrician, civilian Bukar Kashim Goni, and Islamic cleric Abdulkadir Sani. A seventh suspect, former Bayelsa State governor and former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva, was named in the charge sheet but remains at large.
According to the charge documents, the defendants conspired to levy war against the state with the aim of overthrowing the president. Prosecutors also allege that the defendants had prior knowledge of a treasonable plan orchestrated by Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji but failed to alert authorities, an offence that forms part of the 13-count indictment. Money laundering allegations relate to the financing of the alleged plot.
The case traces its origins to October 2025, when the government abruptly cancelled a military parade marking Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, citing security concerns. Speculation about a coup attempt circulated widely at the time, though the military denied it. In January 2026, defence authorities confirmed that a plot to remove the president had been uncovered and that 16 military officers would face separate proceedings before a military court. It remains unclear whether the civilian charges now before the Federal High Court run parallel to or replace those military proceedings.
Sylva, who served as governor of Bayelsa State from 2007 to 2012 and held ministerial office under former President Muhammadu Buhari, denied any connection to a coup attempt after investigators searched his residence in October 2025. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued in a separate anti-corruption matter. His spokesman described the allegations as politically motivated and said the former minister was in the United Kingdom for medical reasons.
Nigeria has maintained unbroken civilian rule since 1999, and its military has repeatedly affirmed its loyalty to constitutional authority. A conviction for treason under Nigerian law carries penalties including life imprisonment.
