The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before a Federal High Court in Abuja against former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, alongside several others over their alleged involvement in a coup-related plot and acts of terrorism against the Nigerian state.
The charges also list a retired Major General, Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, a retired Naval Captain, Erasmus Victor, a serving police inspector, Ahmed Ibrahim, and four others identified as Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, Abdulkadir Sani, and others.
According to court filings, Sylva is currently at large, while the other defendants are scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The charge was filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
The Federal Government accused the defendants of offences including treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
At the centre of the allegations is a claim that the defendants conspired in 2025 to destabilise the Nigerian state. The charge stated that they allegedly “conspired with one another to levy war against the state 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 defendants had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to report it to the authorities.
The charge added that they “did not give the information thereof with all reasonable despatch to either the President or a Peace Officer,” despite allegedly being aware of the planned offence.
They are also accused of failing to take steps to prevent the alleged crime, with the prosecution stating they “did not use any reasonable endeavours to prevent the commission of the offence.”
In addition, the defendants are being prosecuted under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, for allegedly conspiring to commit acts of terrorism within Nigeria.
The charge alleged that some of the accused participated in meetings linked to terrorist activities, which were aimed at advancing a political ideology capable of destabilising the country’s constitutional structure.
It further accused them of providing indirect support for terrorism and suppressing critical intelligence that could have prevented the alleged attacks.
On financial allegations, the prosecution claimed that some of the defendants were involved in handling funds suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing.
Among the allegations, Bukar Goni is said to have retained ₦50 million linked to unlawful activity, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly retained ₦2 million from similar sources.
Zekeri Umoru was accused of receiving ₦10 million in cash outside a financial institution and retaining an additional ₦8.8 million, while Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim allegedly received ₦1 million connected to the alleged scheme.
All financial-related charges were filed under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The case is expected to proceed as the defendants are brought before the court for arraignment in Abuja.
VANGUARD