…Details of Cash Drops, Secret Meetings, Plans for Villa Access Dominate Courtroom Drama
By Abu Adamu
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday heard how financial transactions and damning video evidence linked suspects to an alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu’s government, as one of the defendants, Zekari Umoru, claimed he was deceived into participating.
Umoru, the fourth defendant in the ongoing treason trial involving six accused persons, made the claim in an extra-judicial statement captured on video and played before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik.
The defendant, an employee of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc working in the Maintenance Department at the Presidential Villa, narrated how his involvement began in May 2025 through the third defendant, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, also attached to the Presidential Clinic.
According to the video evidence, Ibrahim introduced Umoru to a man identified as Hassan Mohammed, later revealed to be “Col. Mohammed Ma’aji,” under the guise of offering him electrical work at a construction site.
Umoru told investigators he initially believed Ma’aji was a civilian contractor, especially after receiving multiple money transfers bearing his name. He recounted several instances where cash was handed to him, sometimes in the presence of Ibrahim.
He further described meetings involving Ma’aji and another associate, Usman, whom he later discovered to be a military officer. At one such meeting at a location identified as “Tiger Bar,” Ma’aji allegedly distributed between ₦100,000 and ₦120,000 to Umoru and his associates after drinks and casual conversations about their professions.
A major financial transaction, however, occurred on September 24, 2025, when Ma’aji allegedly handed Umoru a “Ghana-Must-Go” bag filled with cash. Umoru said he deposited the funds at a Zenith Bank branch, where it was counted at ₦8.8 million.
He added that the following day, he and Ibrahim met Ma’aji again, during which an additional ₦2 million was allegedly given, with instructions that further details would be communicated later.
Umoru told investigators that the steady flow of money eventually raised suspicion, prompting him to seek clarification from Ibrahim. He said Ibrahim confided that Ma’aji was unhappy with the state of the nation and was planning to “sanitise the government” with the backing of unnamed associates described as “boys.”
The defendant further alleged that Ibrahim hinted at a plan involving an ambulance driver as a means of gaining access to the Presidential Villa, with promises of financial rewards.
Despite these revelations, Umoru maintained that he was unaware of any concrete plan to overthrow the government, insisting that his involvement was unwitting.
He also recounted an incident where he accompanied Usman into the Presidential Villa, noting that security personnel did not question them after he identified the visitor as his guest. He said he later caught Usman taking photographs inside his office and warned him to desist.
Throughout the video session, Umoru denied knowledge of any coup plot, insisting he was misled by Ibrahim and would have distanced himself had he known Ma’aji’s true identity or intentions.
He expressed regret over his actions, apologised to his employers, and affirmed his loyalty to President Tinubu’s administration.
In a separate video played in court, an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Imam Kassim Goni, also denied involvement in the alleged plot.
Goni told investigators he relocated to Karu, Abuja, after fleeing insurgency in Maiduguri, Borno State, and maintained that funds he received from Ma’aji were strictly for prayers and charitable activities.
He said the payments were tied to requests for spiritual intervention, including prayers related to alleged setbacks in Ma’aji’s career progression.
However, investigators pointed to inconsistencies between his claims and financial records, noting that transfers to Goni dated back to March 2023—months before the issues he cited. Additional records showed transactions running into millions of naira, including a ₦10 million transfer in October 2024.
Prosecutors further argued that discussions captured in the video evidence, including references to access routes and acquisition of “work tools,” suggested a broader and more coordinated scheme.
Meanwhile, counsel to the fifth defendant, Michael Numa, SAN, told the court he had only just received the video exhibit concerning his client and would require time to review it.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the case to May 11, May 12, and May 13 for continuation of trial.
The Federal Government, through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, had earlier arraigned the defendants on a 13-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, was filed on 20 April by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.
Those standing trial include retired Major-General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekari Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
A former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who is also alleged to be linked to the plot, is currently at large.