The Nigerian Army confirmed before the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday that it uncovered a plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu through a coup d’état.
A member of the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police (NACMP), whose identity was hidden by court order, testified against six masterminds of the alleged conspiracy.
The defendants facing charges include retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, and serving Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, among others.
The prosecution also named former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva in the charges, stating that he is currently at large after fleeing the country.
The witness, identified only as “AAA,” testified that the investigation was launched after the then Chief of Army Staff, General O. O. Oluyede, received intelligence regarding a plot led by one Colonel M. A. Ma’aji.
Following the Colonel’s arrest, investigators recovered a Samsung Galaxy phone and a jotter containing “operational plans, names and designations of ranking members of the current regime, as well as officers that were to be assassinated in the course of the coup,” the witness said.
The forensic analysis of the phone allegedly revealed financial links between Ma’aji, Timipre Sylva, and several defendants.
The witness also identified a company called “Purple Wave” as a conduit for sponsoring the plot, with bank records showing suspicious transactions totaling hundreds of millions of naira between September and October 2025.
According to the testimony, the plotters held clandestine meetings at various Abuja hotels where they “discussed negative things about the government and concluded that there was the need for a regime change.”
The witness further alleged that the group planned to attack senior military housing at the Niger barracks and seize control of major highways.
“The plotters also did extensive consultation and divination, in which some of the defendants took part, knowing that a coup was ongoing,” the witness added.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik admitted several documents and digital extracts as evidence, despite objections from the defense team regarding the front-loading of certain exhibits. Earlier in the session, the court granted a request to mask the identities of military witnesses to protect them from potential attacks.
The defendants face charges of treason, terrorism, and money laundering. The Federal Government alleges they conspired in September 2025 to levy war against the state to overawe the President. The trial has been adjourned until May 4 and 5 for further hearing.