An officer of the Armed Forces of Nigeria on Wednesday testified before the Federal High Court in Abuja, detailing how investigators uncovered an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, alongside financial and operational links connecting the defendants to the purported conspiracy.
The witness, a member of the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police, appeared under protective measures granted by the court due to security concerns, with his identity shielded from public disclosure.
He gave evidence in the ongoing trial of a retired major-general, Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, and five others—Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani—who are facing a 13-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose information, and money laundering. All defendants, arraigned on April 22, have pleaded not guilty.
At the proceedings presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the prosecution, led by Rotimi Oyedepo, presented four witnesses, including three bank officials from Jaiz Bank, SunTrust Bank, and Providus Bank. The officials tendered account records and correspondence with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which were admitted as evidence.
In his testimony, the military officer revealed that intelligence reports initially received by the then Chief of Army Staff, Olufemi Oluyede—now Chief of Defence Staff—pointed to a serving officer, Col. Mohammed Maaji, as a central figure allegedly coordinating the plot with both military personnel and civilians, including former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva.
According to the witness, the intelligence was assessed and deemed credible, prompting a formal investigation and the subsequent arrest of Col. Maaji. Items recovered from him reportedly included a Samsung Galaxy Z-series phone and a handwritten jotter said to contain operational plans.
“Inside the jotter, we found names, designations, and structural plans for regime change, including a list of officers marked for assassination,” the witness told the court.
He further disclosed that forensic analysis of the recovered phone allegedly revealed communications linking Col. Maaji to some of the defendants, as well as documents outlining “post-coup arrangements” and proposed restructuring of government institutions.
Financial investigations, he added, uncovered significant monetary transactions allegedly connecting Col. Maaji, some defendants, and Timipre Sylva. A company identified as Purple Waves Limited was said to have served as a conduit for the funds.
The court heard that transactions totaling hundreds of millions of naira—including transfers of N100 million, N80 million, N70 million, N50 million, and N90 million—were traced between September and October 2025. Though the transfers carried varying descriptions, investigators linked them to activities under probe.
The witness also stated that investigators visited Green Land Apartment and Brookville Hotel in Abuja, where meetings related to the alleged plot were said to have occurred. Hotel records, receipts, and reservation details were recovered and admitted in evidence.
He claimed the meetings involved discussions on regime change, identification of assassination targets, and allocation of roles among participants.
Additionally, the officer told the court that some suspects made voluntary, video-recorded statements before a military investigation panel and the military police.
However, attempts by the prosecution to tender the video recordings were met with objections from defence counsel, who argued that the materials had not been previously disclosed. Justice Abdulmalik directed the prosecution to comply with procedural requirements before admitting the evidence.
During proceedings, defence counsel Muhammed Ndayako (SAN) urged the court to restrain the witness from making definitive claims about an alleged plan to overthrow the government, arguing that such assertions remain unproven. The judge, however, advised that such issues be addressed during cross-examination or final arguments.
The case has been adjourned to May 4 for continuation of hearing.
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