Court Remands 6 Alleged Coup Plotters In DSS Custody, Fixes April 27 For Trial

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, ordered the remand of six men in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) after they were arraigned on a 13-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism, treason, and an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.

The defendants include Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, a retired major-General; Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, retired Navy Captain; Ahmed Ibrahim, Police Inspector; Presidential Villa electrician, Zekeri Umoru; Bukar Kashim Goni, and Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Abdulkadir Sani.

Also listed in the charge, but said to be at large, is former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.

At Wednesday’s sitting before Joyce Abdulmalik, proceedings briefly stalled after the third defendant informed the court that his counsel was indisposed, while counsel to the sixth defendant said his client only understood Arabic and Hausa, prompting the judge to stand the matter down to secure an interpreter.

When the court reconvened, all six defendants took their pleas and denied all 13 counts, pleading not guilty.

Following the arraignment, the prosecution applied for their remand in the custody of Department of State Services (DSS) and urged the court to grant accelerated hearing of the matter.

While most defence counsel did not oppose the application, counsel to the first defendant indicated plans to file a bail application.

In his ruling, the presiding judge ordered an accelerated hearing and directed that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody and be given access to their lawyers.

The judge subsequently adjourned the matter to April 27, 2026, for commencement of trial and hearing of bail applications.

Only Abdulkadir Sani, who had earlier been ordered released unconditionally by a court, appeared in court on his own, while the remaining five defendants were reportedly produced by DSS operatives.

The Federal Government, through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, had on Monday, April 20, filed the 13-count charge before the court, accusing the suspects of conspiracy to commit treason, terrorism financing, failure to disclose intelligence on a planned coup, and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.

According to the charge signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, a senior advocate, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2025 “to levy war against the state to overpower the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.

The prosecution also alleged that the defendants had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji., a colonel, and others but failed to alert authorities or take reasonable steps to prevent it.

The charge also accused Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru of attending meetings linked to the alleged plot in a bid to advance a political ideology capable of destabilizing Nigeria’s constitutional structure.

The defendants were further accused of knowingly rendering support for acts of terrorism and suppressing intelligence that could have helped prevent the alleged acts.

Financial records cited in the charge also alleged that Bukar Kashim Goni retained ₦50 million linked to terrorism financing, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly retained ₦2 million from a similar source.

Zekeri Umoru was accused of receiving ₦10 million in cash outside the banking system and retaining an additional ₦8.8 million suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing, while Ahmed Ibrahim, an inspector, was accused of taking possession of ₦1 million linked to the same offences.

It was gathered that the coup allegations first gained public attention after the Federal Government cancelled the October 1, 2025 Independence Day parade, triggering widespread speculation of an attempted coup.

Although the Defense Headquarters initially dismissed the reports, it later confirmed that in January 2026 that there had indeed been an attempt to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Director of Defence Information, Samaila Uba, had said investigations showed some military personnel were involved and that those implicated had been detained for further investigation and military trial.

On March 6, families of detained military officers accused of involvement in the alleged plot publicly appealed to Tinubu to allow open court trials instead of prolonged detention and what they described as “trial by media.”

The protest, joined by Human Rights activist and two-time presidential candidate under African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore and relatives of the detained officers, demanded transparency, access to the suspects, and adherence to constitutional rights.