Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr Timipre Sylva
Following an alleged failed coup attempt, the Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja against former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva (reportedly at large), and others, all of whom would be arraigned Wednesday.
A retired Major General, a retired Naval Captain, a serving police inspector and three others were among the suspects over their alleged involvement in a coup plot in 2025 to topple the President Bola Tinubu government and commit acts of terrorism.
The other defendants are Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (retd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Victor (retd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni and Abdulkadir Sani.
They are billed to appear on Wednesday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
The charge, 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, accused the defendants of offences ranging from treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
According to the charge, the suspects “conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” 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 one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others, but failed to alert authorities.
The charge states that they, “knowing that and was intended to commit treason, did not give the information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President or a Peace Officer.”
The defendants were also accused of failing to take preventive steps, as they allegedly “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”
The Federal Government is also prosecuting the defendants for terrorism-related offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The charge alleged that they “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Particularly, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru are accused of participating in meetings tied to terrorist activities.
Prosecutors claim they acted “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilize the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The charge also accuses the defendants of providing support for terrorism, alleging that they “knowingly and indirectly, rendered support” to facilitate acts of terror.
In addition, the prosecution alleged a deliberate suppression of intelligence, stating that the defendants “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 case further traces financial transactions allegedly linked to terrorism financing, with multiple defendants accused of handling proceeds of unlawful activities.
Bukar Kashim Goni is alleged to have “indirectly retained the aggregate 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 a similar source.
Zekeri Umoru, according to the charge, “without going through a financial institution, accepted a cash payment of the sum of N10million” and also retained an additional N8.8 million suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of taking possession of N1 million linked to the same alleged scheme.
All financial-related counts were brought under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Political Economist reports that the serving military personnel alleged to be involved in the aborted coup will be tried under strict military rules.
