Abuja Court Hears 2 Defendants Deny Coup Plot

A Federal High Court in Abuja heard video-recorded statements on Tuesday from two defendants in the trial of six individuals accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu's government, with both men denying any knowledge of a coup.

The defendants, Zekeri Umoru and Bukar Kashim Goni, are among those arraigned last month on 13 counts including treason, terrorism, conspiracy to levy war against the state, failure to disclose security information, and money laundering. The others are retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Navy Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, and Abdulkadir Sani. Former Bayelsa State Governor Timipreye Sylva, named in the charge, remains at large. All have pleaded not guilty.

Umoru, a maintenance worker at the Presidential Villa employed by Julius Berger Nigeria, told investigators in the video that Inspector Ibrahim introduced him in May 2025 to a man he knew as businessman Hassan Mohammed, later identified as Colonel Mohammed Maaji, whom prosecutors describe as a key figure in the plot. Umoru said he believed the contact involved legitimate electrical work and recounted receiving cash payments, including...