The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja against former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, a retired Major General, a retired Naval Captain, a serving police inspector, and three others over alleged involvement in a coup plot, war against Nigeria, and terrorism.
The other defendants include Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (retd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Victor (retd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani. Sylva is currently at large. They are expected to be arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
The charge was filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by DPP Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN. It lists offences including treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
Prosecutors say the defendants conspired in 2025 to undermine the Nigerian state.
They “conspired with one another to levy war against the state to overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,”
They are also said to have known about a planned treason involving Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to report it.
They also “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”
Under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, they are further accused of terrorism-related conspiracy:
“conspired with one another to commit an act of terrorism in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru allegedly attended meetings linked to terrorism, acting “in a bid to further a political ideology which may seriously destabilize the constitutional structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
They are also accused of “knowingly and indirectly, rendered support”
The prosecution further alleges suppression of intelligence, saying 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.”
On finances, Bukar Kashim Goni is accused of retaining N50,000,000 linked to terrorism financing, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly held N2 million. Zekeri Umoru is said to have received N10 million cash and retained another N8.8 million. Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim allegedly took possession of N1 million. All financial counts fall under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
