April 21, 2026

The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before the Federal High Court against former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, and six others over an alleged plot to overthrow the Nigerian government and carry out acts of terrorism.

Also named in the charge are retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani. The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, while Sylva is reportedly at large.

The charges, filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by Director of Public Prosecutions Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), span allegations of treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.

At the core of the case is an allegation that the defendants conspired in 2025 to “levy war against the state” in a bid to destabilise the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu—an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.

Prosecutors further alleged that the accused had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others but failed to inform authorities. They are accused of withholding critical intelligence and failing to take reasonable steps to prevent the alleged offence.

Beyond treason, the defendants face terrorism-related charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. According to the charge, they conspired to carry out acts intended to destabilise Nigeria’s constitutional order, with some defendants allegedly participating in meetings linked to the plot.

The Federal Government also accused the defendants of providing support for terrorism and deliberately suppressing intelligence that could have helped prevent the alleged acts.

Financial crime allegations form a key part of the case. Bukar Goni is accused of retaining N50 million linked to terrorism financing, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly handled N2 million from similar sources. Zekeri Umoru and Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim are also accused of receiving and handling funds suspected to be proceeds of terrorism financing outside formal financial channels.

All financial-related charges were filed under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The case marks a significant escalation in the government’s crackdown on alleged threats to national security and is expected to draw widespread attention as proceedings begin in Abuja.