Alleged coup: Court admits confessional statements, videos against six suspects

The Federal High Court in Abuja has admitted the confessional statements and video recordings of six persons standing trial over an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration, dismissing their claims that the materials were obtained through torture and coercion.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, in a ruling on Thursday, held that the prosecution had established that the defendants voluntarily made the statements during military interrogation and willingly participated in the video recordings.

The judge described their allegations of duress as an afterthought, noting that they failed to present evidence showing that they were tortured, induced or coerced into making the statements.

The ruling followed a trial-within-trial ordered on May 11 after the defence challenged the admissibility of the statements and videos tendered by the prosecution through four witnesses, including an Army officer who testified under the codename AAA.

The six defendants are retired Major General Mohammed Gana, retired Navy Captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni and Abdulkadir Sani.

They are being prosecuted by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation on a 13-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.

The charges arose from allegations that the defendants conspired in 2025 with others, including a serving military officer, Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji, to overthrow the Tinubu administration.

According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly conspired to levy war against the Nigerian state to overawe the President and participated in activities intended to destabilise the country’s constitutional structure.

The Federal Government further alleged that they knew of Colonel Ma’aji’s alleged treasonable intentions but failed to alert the relevant authorities or take reasonable steps to prevent the planned offence.

The charge also accused them of providing support to the alleged terrorist activities and withholding information that could have assisted security agencies in preventing the plot and apprehending those involved.

Beyond the alleged conspiracy, the prosecution accused individual defendants of receiving or retaining funds suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing.

Abdulkadir Sani was accused of retaining N2 million in his Jaiz Bank account on September 23, 2025, allegedly received from A & A Express Link Concept.

Bukar Goni was accused of retaining N50 million in his First Bank account in September 2025 from the same company, while Zekeri Umoru allegedly received N10 million in cash from Colonel Ma’aji outside the formal financial system and retained another N8.8 million in his Zenith Bank account.

Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim was also accused of receiving N1 million from Colonel Ma’aji, which the prosecution alleged was linked to terrorism financing.

The charge further identified former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, as an alleged participant in the conspiracy, although he was listed as being at large.

The six defendants had pleaded not guilty to the 13-count charge when they were arraigned before Justice Abdulmalik on April 22.

With the confessional statements and video recordings now admitted as exhibits, the court adjourned the case until December 7 and 10 for continuation of trial.