By Abu Adamu
The Federal Government on Wednesday formally opened its case against six alleged coup plotters at the Federal High Court in Abuja, with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, personally leading the prosecution team.
The defendants were arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on a 13-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and alleged money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
Those docked include retired Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Capt. (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Insp. Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani. A former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, was listed in the charge as being at large but not named as a defendant.
The charges, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, stem from allegations that the defendants conspired in 2025 to undermine the Nigerian state and levy war against it with the intent to overawe the President. The offence is said to be punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
At the proceedings, Fagbemi informed the court that the matter was slated for arraignment and urged the court to allow the charges to be read to the defendants.
“Subject to your lordship’s convenience, we are ready and we apply that the charge be read to the defendants,” he said.
Counsel to the defendants, including Mohammed Ndayako, SAN (1st defendant), Chibuike Ukah (2nd defendant), C.D. Okafor (4th defendant), Mohammed Ibrahim (5th defendant), and Sanusi Musa, SAN (6th defendant), did not oppose the application.
Despite the absence of legal representation for the 3rd defendant, Insp. Ahmed Ibrahim, the court directed that the arraignment proceed, noting that counsel do not enter pleas on behalf of defendants. Ibrahim later requested that A.I. Lemu, SAN, stand in for him pending proper briefing, a request the court granted.
All six defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the pleas, Fagbemi applied for their remand in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) and urged the court to grant accelerated hearing of the case.
In response, defence counsel informed the court that bail applications had already been filed and served on the prosecution, urging the court to fix an early date for their hearing. They also raised concerns over limited access to their clients, with some stating they had only been able to meet the defendants for the first time a day earlier despite prolonged detention.
Ndayako, in particular, noted that access to the first defendant had been denied since October of the previous year until recently, stressing the need for adequate preparation of the defence.
Responding, Fagbemi assured the court that all defendants would be granted access to their lawyers and family members in accordance with the law.
“I can assure you that your right to interact with your clients will not be denied,” the AGF stated, while urging counsel to follow established protocols and give prior notice when seeking access to detention facilities.
Some defence lawyers, including Ukah, Okafor, and Ibrahim, expressed satisfaction with the assurance, while Musa commended the DSS for facilitating consistent access to his client since his transfer from the Defence Intelligence Agency.
Justice Abdulmalik, in a ruling, ordered that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody and directed that lawyers and family members be granted reasonable access to them. The court also granted the prosecution’s request for accelerated hearing.
The matter was adjourned until April 27 for the commencement of trial and hearing of the defendants’ bail applications.