Court remand suspected coup plotters for DSS custody afta dem plead not guilty
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of di Federal High Court for Abuja don give order make dem detain six pipo wey di Nigeria govment sama accuse say dem bin plan coup to comot President Bola Tinubu from office.
Dis na afta di Attorney General of di Federation, Lateef Fagbemi, imsef lead di prosecution team wey arraign di six suspects on top 13-count charges wey di govment sama dem.
Di names of di suspects na Mohammed Ibrahim Gana wey be retired major general; Erasmus Ochegobia Victor wey be retired navy captain; Ahmed Ibrahim wey be serving police inspector; Zekeri Umoru - electrician wey dey work for di Presidential Villa; Bukar Kashim Goni, and one Islamic cleric, Abdulkadir Sani.
Di charge sheet also mention di name of former Bayelsa State govnor and also former Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva wey prosecutors say e dey on di run.
Sylva bin don deny di allegation and tok say e dey for UK for medical treatment.
All of di six suspects plead not guilty to di charges. Di court also provide Hausa language interpreter for two of di defendants wey tok say dem no dey understand English.
Afta di defendants take dia plea, counsel to di first defendant, Muhamed Ndayako (SAN) tell court say im don file bail application for im client, and e don serve di prosecution team for court dia. E ask for short adjournment to be able to move di application.
Ndayako also beg court to give order make di security operatives dey allow dem to get access to dia clients, bicos "since September 2025, I neva get chance to tok wit my client to prepare am for trial".
All di oda counsels for di second to fifth defendant also tok di same tin say dem neva get chance to meet dia client since dia arrest.
One of dem even tell di court say na for court dia dis Wednesday morning di prosecution serve am wit di charges against im client.
"Na yesterday im wife call me say army call am to tell am say dem dey carry her husband go court, and na for court dis morning dem give me di charges," e tok.
Di defendants bin dey detained for di custody of di Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), but di AGF ask di court to move dem to di facility of di Department of State Services (DSS).
Oga Fagbemi also tell di court say im no get any idea say di lawyers no get access to dia clients. E promise say going forward, dem go get free access provided say dem apply on time.
Di trial judge give orders for accelerated hearing of di case and also say make dem detain di defendants for DSS facility and make di officers grant dem access to dia lawyers.
She adjourn di mata to Monday, 27 April, 2026, for continuation.
Di charges
Count one of di 13-count charges allege say di defendants bin "conspire wit one anoda to levy war against di state to overawe di President of di Federal Republic of Nigeria", and na offence under section 37(2) of di Criminal Code 2004.
For counts two and three, di Nigeria govment claim say di six defendants bin know say one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma'aji and odas bin plan to commit treason but dem no give di information to di president, or try to prevent am.
Count four be say di defendants bin conspire to commit acts of terrorism for Nigeria in violation of di Terrorism Prevention Act 2022.
Count five na only against di third and fourth defendants, Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru, and e claim say di two "knowingly participate for meetings wey dey connected wit act of terrorism".
Den count six claim say di six defendants bin "knowingly and indirectly" render support to Colonel Mohammed Alhasan Ma'aji to commit act of terrorism.
Also, count seven and eight, just like count four, accuse di defendants say dem get information about pesin wey wan commit act of terrorism, but dem no give dat information to relevant agencies.
For count nine, di sixth defendant Abdulkadir Sani dey accused say e collect two million naira for im Jaiz Bank account, wey e suppose know say na part of di proceeds of unlawful act.
Similarly, count 10 tok say di fifth defendant Bukar Kashim Goni indirectly retain di sum of 50 million naira for im first bank account, wey also be proceeds of unlawful activity.
Counts 11 and 12 concern only di fourth defendant Zakari Umoru, wia e dey accused say e receive di sums of 10 million naira and 8.8 million naira respectively, wey e suppose know say na money for unlawful activity, and dis amount to terrorism financing.
Di last count concern only di third defendant Ahmed Ibrahim wey dem accuse say e collect one million naira directly from Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma'aji, and dis na also terrorism financing.
Apart from dis six defendants, di Nigerian Army bin don announce di arrest of 16 serving personnel wey dem say bin actively plan di coup against President Tinubu.
Dis na afta dem bin first deny di rumours of coup for October of 2024.
