The Federal Government has brought a 13-count charge bordering on treason against six individuals over an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through a coup d’état.
The charge, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, lists former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, as a defendant. Others named include retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State, was said to be at large at the time the charge was filed.
According to the Federal Government, the defendants are accused of conspiring to levy war against the state in a bid to intimidate or overawe the President, an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
They were also alleged to have had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to report it to the authorities.
The government further claimed that the defendants neither disclosed the information promptly nor took reasonable steps to prevent the alleged offence.
In addition to treason, the charges include terrorism-related offences under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Prosecutors alleged that the defendants conspired to carry out acts aimed at destabilising Nigeria’s constitutional structure in pursuit of a political ideology.
Some of the accused were also linked to meetings connected to terrorist activities, while others were said to have provided material or financial support for terrorism.
The government alleged that Goni retained N50 million suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing, while Sani allegedly held N2 million from a similar source.
Umoru was accused of receiving N10 million in cash outside the banking system and retaining an additional N8.8 million linked to the same scheme. Inspector Ibrahim was also accused of possessing N1 million tied to the alleged operation.
All financial-related charges were filed under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The defendants are expected to be arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
Speculation about a coup plot first emerged in October 2025 after the government cancelled a planned military parade to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary, citing security concerns. Although the military initially denied any such plot, it later announced in January that 16 officers would face court martial over an alleged attempt to overthrow the President.
It remains unclear whether the current charges are separate from the military proceedings.
Sylva has previously denied any involvement in a coup plot, describing the allegations as politically motivated after his residence was searched by investigators. An arrest warrant was also issued against him in a separate case by the anti-corruption agency.
Meanwhile, reactions from his associates have been limited. One associate, who spoke anonymously, expressed caution, noting the sensitivity of the allegations.
A Bayelsa elder and convener of the South South Reawakening Group, Joseph Ambakederimo, called for due process, urging that the case should not be politicised and that the court be allowed to determine the matter based on evidence.