The Federal Government has instituted a 13-count criminal charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against a retired Major General, a retired Naval Captain, a serving police inspector, and three other individuals over their alleged involvement in a plot to destabilise Nigeria through acts described as terrorism and treason.
Those named in the charge include Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
They are expected to be arraigned on Wednesday, April 22, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
A former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, was also listed in the charge, though the prosecution said he is currently at large.
The case was filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
The defendants are accused of offences bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to report security threats, and money laundering allegedly connected to terrorism financing.
At the core of the allegations is a claim that the accused persons conspired in 2025 to undermine the Nigerian state and threaten its constitutional order.
According to the charge, they “conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” an offence said to be punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
The prosecution further alleged that some of the defendants had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to inform security authorities.
It stated that they, “knowing that a person intended to commit treason, did not give information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President or a peace officer.”
In another count, they were also accused of failing to take preventive action, as they allegedly “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”
Beyond the treason-related allegations, the Federal Government is also prosecuting the defendants under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The charge states that they “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” with specific claims that Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru attended meetings linked to terrorist activities.
Prosecutors further alleged that the accused persons acted “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
They are also accused of providing material support for terrorism, with the government alleging that they “knowingly and indirectly rendered support” to facilitate terrorist activities.
The prosecution additionally claimed that the defendants failed to disclose critical intelligence that could have prevented the alleged offences, stating that they “had information which would be of material assistance in preventing the commission of the act of terrorism, but failed to disclose the information to the relevant agency as soon as practicable.”
The charge also outlines alleged financial transactions linked to terrorism financing, forming part of the money laundering allegations brought under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
According to the prosecution, Bukar Kashim Goni is accused of “indirectly retaining the sum of N50,000,000, which forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: terrorism financing,” while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly retained N2 million from similar sources.
Zekeri Umoru is alleged to have “without going through a financial institution accepted a cash payment of N10,000,000,” in addition to retaining N8.8 million suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim is also accused of receiving N1 million linked to the alleged scheme.
All financial-related counts were filed under provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The defendants are expected to take their pleas when they are arraigned before the Federal High Court on Wednesday.
