The Federal government has filed a 13-count charge against seven persons linked to an alleged plot to forcefully overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, terrorize the citizens, and sack democratic governance.
Six of the alleged coup plotters were nabbed by the Department of State Services (DSS). The seventh, former Governor Timpre Sylva of Bayelsa State, is on the run and is being tried in absentia.
In the suit filed on behalf of the Federal government by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, had retired Major-General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana,
retired Navy Captain Victor Erasmus Ochegobia, a former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timpre Sylva, a serving police Inspector, Ahmed Ibrahim. The others are Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
The charges filed against them include treasonable felony, conspiracy to overthrow the government, conspiracy to commit terrorism and other offenses related to national security threats.
The charges are:
That you, MAJOR GENERAL MOHAMMED IBRAHIM GANA – (RTD),
CAPTAIN (NN) ERASMUS OCHEGOBIA VICTOR -(RTD), INSPECTOR
AHMED IBRAHIM(AP776373), ZEKERI UMORU, BUKAR KASHIM
GONI, ABDULKADIR SANI, TIMPRE SYLVA (still at large) and
others, sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this
Honourable Court, conspired with one another to levy war against the state
to overawe the President of the Federal Republic o f Nigeria and thereby
committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 37(2) of the code cap 38 LFN 2004.
COUNT 2
That you, MAJOR GENERAL MOHAMMED IBRAHIM GANA – (RTD),
CAPTAIN (NN) ERASMUS OCHEGOBIA VICTOR – (RTD), INSPECTOR
AHMED IBRAHIM(AP776373), ZEKERI UMORU, BUKAR KASHIM
GONI, ABDULKADIR SANI, TIMPRE SYLVA (still at large) and
others, sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this
Honourable Court, knowing that COLONEL MOHAMMED ALHASSAN
MA’AJI (N/10668) and others intended to commit treason, did not give
the information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, or a Peace Officer and thereby committed
an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 40(b) of the Criminal
Code Cap C38 LFN 2004.
COUNT 3
That you, MAJOR GENERAL MOHAMMED IBRAHIM GANA – (RTD),
CAPTAIN (NN) ERASMUS OCHEGOBIA VICTOR – (RTD), INSPECTOR
AHMED IBRAHIM(AP776373), ZEKERI UMORU, BUKAR KASHIM
GONI, ABDULKADIR SANI, TIMPRE SYLVA(still at large) and
others, sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this
Honorable Court, knowing that COLONEL MOHAMMED ALHASSAN
MA AJI (N/10668), and others intended to commit treason, did not use
any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence and
thereby committed an offence contrary t o and punishable under Section
40(b) of the Criminal Code Cap C 38 (LFN) 2004.
COUNT 4
MAJOR GENERAL MOHAMMED IBRAHIM GANA -(RTD), CAPTAIN
(NN) ERASMUS OCHEGOBIA VICTOR -(RTD), INSPECTOR AHMED
IBRAHIM(AP776373), ZEKERI UMORU, BUKAR KASHIM GONEy
ABDULKADIR SANI, TIMPRE SYLVA (still at large) and others, sometime in the year 2025 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honorable court conspired with one another to commit an act of Terrorism Federal Republic of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 5
That you, INSPECTOR AHMED IBRAHIM (AP 776373) AND ZEKERI
UMORU, sometime in the year 2025 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this
Honourable Court, in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously
destabilize the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
knowingly participated in meetings connected with an act of terrorism and
thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Sections
2(3)(d) and 12(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 6
That you, MAJOR GENERAL MOHAMMED IBRAHIM GANA – (RTD),
CAPTAIN (NN) ERASMUS OCHEGOBIA VICTOR -(RTD), INSPECTOR
AHMED IBRAHIM(AP 776373), ZEKERI UMORU, BUKAR KASHIM
GONI, ABDULKADIR SANI, AND TIMPRE SYLVA (still at large), sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly and indirectly, rendered support to COLONEL
MOHAMMED ALHASSAN MA’AJI (N/10668) and others, to commit an act of terrorism, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 13(1) (a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 7
That you, MAJOR GENERAL MOHAMMED IBRAHIM GANA – (RTD),
CAPTAIN (NN) ERASMUS OCHEGOBIA VICTOR – (RTD), INSPECTOR
AHMED IBRAHIM(AP 776373), ZEKERI UMORU, BUKAR KASHIM
GONI, ABDULKADIR SANI, AND TIMPRE SYLVA (still at large), sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court had information which you knew would be o f material assistance in preventing the commission o f the act o f terrorism by COLONEL MOHAMMED ALHASSAN MA’AJI (N/10668), and others, failed to disclose the information to the relevant agency as soon as practicable, and
thereby committed a n offence contrary to and punishable under Section 16(1)(a) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 8
That you, MAJOR GENERAL MOHAMMED IBRAHIM GANA – (RTD),
CAPTAIN (NN) ERASMUS OCHEGOBIA VICTOR – (RTD), INSPECTOR
AHMED IBRAHIM(AP 776373), ZEKERI UMORU, BUKAR KASHIM
GONI, ABDULKADIR SANI, AND TIMPRE SYLVA (still at large), sometime in the year 2025, in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court had information which you knew would be of material assistance in
securing the apprehension of COLONEL MOHAMMED ALHASSAN MA’AJI (N/10668), and others for a n offence o f terrorism, failed to disclose the information t o the relevant agency as soon as practicable, and
thereby committed a n offence contrary t o and punishable under Section 16(1)(b) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
COUNT 9
That you, ABDULKADIR SANI, on o r about the 23rd day of September, 2025, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, indirectly retained the sum of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Naira) only in
your Jaiz Bank Account Number 0005620270 from A & A Express Link
Concept, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the
proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: terrorism financing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 1 8 (3) of the same Act.
COUNT 10
That you, BUKAR KASHIM GONI, in September, 2025, In Abuja, with in
the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, indirectly retained the aggregate sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira) only in your First Barık Account Number 3021511166 from A & A Express Link Concept, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of
u n unlawful act to wit: terrorism financing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) o f the
same Act.
COUNT 1 1
That you, ZEKERI UMORU, in September, 2025, in Abuja, within the
Jurisdiction o f this Honorable Court, without going through a financial
institution accepted a cash payment o f the sum o f N10,000,000.00 (Ten Million Naira) only from Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Maa’aji and thereby committed an offence contrary t o Sections 2(1)(a) and 19(1)(d)
o f the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 19(2)(b) o f the same Act.
COUNT 12
That you, ZEKERI UMORU, in September, 2025, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, indirectly retained the aggregate sum of N8,800,000.00 (Eight Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira)
only in your Zenith Bank PIc Account Number 2006041878, which sum you
reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: terrorism financing, and thereby committed a n offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) o f the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) o f the same Act.
COUNT 13
That you, INSPECTOR AHMED IBRAHIM, in September, 2025, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction o f this Honorable Court, directly took possession of the sum of N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira) only from COLONEL MOHAMMED ALHASSAN MA’AJI (N/10668), which sum you reasonably
ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of an unlawful act to terrorism financing, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(2)(d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and punishable under Section 18 (3) of the same Act.
