The Federal Government on Monday tendered video recordings in court as part of evidence in an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration through a coup d’état.
According to Vanguard, the footage, played before the Federal High Court in Abuja, showed some of the defendants detailing their alleged roles to investigators in connection with the case.
Those standing trial in charge FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026 include retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana; retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor; serving Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim; and three others—Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
Former Bayelsa State governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, was also mentioned in the charge filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
He is said to be at large, having allegedly left the country before the plot was uncovered.
The defendants are facing multiple counts including treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money laundering linked to alleged terrorist activities.
At Monday’s hearing, the prosecution presented video clips in which retired Naval Captain Victor and Inspector Ibrahim reportedly acknowledged awareness of the alleged coup plan, while retired Maj. Gen. Gana denied any knowledge of it.
In his segment of the video, Maj. Gen. Gana said he retired from the Nigerian Army in 2010 as Chief of Defence Logistics and has since lived a quiet life.
He insisted he had never been involved in any criminal or indisciplined activity. He confirmed knowing Colonel M. A. Ma’aji, said to be linked to the alleged plot, but stated he only learned that Ma’aji had promotion-related grievances and was unaware of any coup intentions.
He added that had he known, he would have reported it to authorities.
He further explained that his name came up after investigators traced a N2 million transfer to him.
He also admitted forwarding, via WhatsApp, a speech delivered by Joshua Dongayaro during a past coup, as well as other anti-government messages, stressing that he merely shared content he received without alteration.
Gana said he was later confronted with claims that a recovered coup speech from Ma’aji resembled materials he had previously circulated, but he maintained he had no knowledge of any coordination.
He denied allegations of reconnaissance at the Presidential Villa or involvement in fundraising efforts, including claims that he sourced large sums from a former governor.
Retired Naval Captain Victor, the 2nd defendant, admitted knowing Ma’aji and being aware of discussions about overthrowing the government, but said he discouraged the idea.
He explained that his failure to report stemmed from his relationship with Ma’aji, who allegedly expressed frustration over stalled promotion and “out of anger, said he wanted to overthrow the system.”
Victor said he advised him to abandon such thoughts and consider retirement instead.
He also admitted he was approached to provide financial support, assist in fundraising, or secure accommodation for the alleged operation, with promises of an appointment if the plan succeeded.
However, he said he declined all requests while still maintaining communication through encrypted channels.
He confirmed that coded language was used in conversations but insisted he had no operational role. He expressed regret over not reporting the matter to naval authorities.
In his statement in the video, he appealed for mercy, saying, “I feel so bad that I find myself in this situation. I am pleading for clemency.”
He further argued that if amnesty could be granted to terrorists and bandits, he too deserved forgiveness given his years of service in the Navy.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, attached to the State House, told investigators he was initially drawn into discussions under the guise of assisting Ma’aji’s promotion through government contacts.
He said the conversations later shifted from promotion lobbying to alleged coup planning. He admitted receiving between N1.4 million and N1.5 million, and conducting reconnaissance around the Presidential Villa, including Aguda House.
According to him, he took photographs of sections of the Villa, including the President’s residence and surrounding areas, and discussed possible access routes.
He also confirmed that coded terms such as “fertiliser” and “farming” were used to refer to funding and operational planning.
However, he maintained that his involvement was based on poor judgment and influence from his relationship with the main suspect, insisting he did not believe the plan could succeed.
Earlier, defence lawyers objected to the admissibility of the video evidence, arguing that the statements were not voluntarily made.
Their request to bar the recordings was dismissed by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, who ruled that a trial-within-trial would be conducted to determine voluntariness.
The matter was subsequently adjourned to Tuesday for further hearing.
The Federal Government alleged that the defendants conspired in September 2025 to “levy war against the state” in an attempt to overawe President Tinubu, an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
It also alleged that they had prior knowledge of the planned treason but failed to alert security agencies or take steps to prevent it.
Additional counts were brought under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, accusing them of conspiracy to commit terrorism-related offences.
The defendants were arraigned on April 22 and pleaded not guilty to the 13 charges. They have since been remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services pending trial.
