The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja against two retired senior military officers, a serving police inspector, and three others over what it describes as a coordinated plot involving treason and terrorism.
The accused, Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (retd), Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (retd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani, are expected to be arraigned on Wednesday, April 22, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Also named in the charge is former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who is reportedly “at large.”
According to the charge filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by Director of Public Prosecutions Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, the defendants are accused of “conspiring with one another to levy war against the state to overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Prosecutors allege that the group was involved in a 2025 plan aimed at destabilizing the country, describing it as a “deliberate attempt to undermine the Nigerian state.”
The charge further claims the defendants had prior knowledge of a treasonable plot involving Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to act. They allegedly “did not give the information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President or a Peace Officer.”
In another count, the government said the accused “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence,” despite being aware of the alleged plan.
On terrorism-related charges, the prosecution stated that the defendants “conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” contrary to provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru are specifically accused of attending meetings linked to extremist activities. Prosecutors claim these actions were carried out “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilise the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The charge also alleges that the defendants “knowingly and indirectly rendered support” to facilitate acts of terrorism and “had information which would be of material assistance in preventing” such acts but “failed to disclose the information… as soon as practicable.”
Financial transactions linked to the case form a major part of the allegations. Bukar Kashim Goni is accused of “indirectly retaining the aggregate sum of N50,000,000” believed to be proceeds of terrorism financing, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly held “N2,000,000 from a similar unlawful source.”
Zekeri Umoru, according to prosecutors, “without going through a financial institution accepted a cash payment of the sum of N10,000,000” and retained an additional “N8,800,000” suspected to be linked to terror funding.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim is also accused of “taking possession of N1,000,000” tied to the same alleged scheme.
All financial-related charges were brought under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The prosecution describes the case as involving “a coordinated network” of military personnel, law enforcement, civilians, and a politically exposed individual, raising “serious concerns about threats to national security.”