The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge against former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, and six others over an alleged plot to wage war against Nigeria and destabilise the constitutional order.
The charges, filed before a Federal High Court in Abuja, also name retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Victor, serving police officer Ahmed Ibrahim, alongside Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni and Abdulkadir Sani.
The defendants are expected to be arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, while Sylva is reportedly at large.
The charge, instituted by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), accuses the defendants of offences including treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
According to court documents, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2025 to “levy war against the state” with the intent to overawe the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
Prosecutors further alleged that the accused had prior knowledge of a planned coup involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to report the intelligence to appropriate authorities.
“They knew that a treasonable act was intended but did not give the information with all reasonable dispatch to either the President or a Peace Officer,” the charge stated, adding that they also failed to take steps to prevent the alleged offence.
Beyond treason, the defendants face terrorism-related charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, including conspiracy to commit acts capable of destabilising Nigeria’s constitutional structure.
Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru were specifically accused of attending meetings linked to terrorist activities aimed at advancing a political ideology considered a threat to national stability.
The prosecution also alleged that the defendants provided material support for terrorism and deliberately withheld critical intelligence that could have prevented such acts.
Financial crimes form a major part of the case, with several defendants accused of handling funds tied to terrorism financing.
Bukar Goni allegedly retained N50 million believed to be proceeds of unlawful activity, while Abdulkadir Sani is accused of holding N2 million from similar sources.
Zekeri Umoru was said to have accepted N10 million in cash outside formal financial channels and retained an additional N8.8 million linked to the alleged scheme. Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim is also accused of receiving N1 million connected to the same transactions.
All financial-related charges were filed under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Elijah Adeyemi
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