Nigeria Charges Six People with Terrorism and Treason Over Coup Plot

Six Nigerian Military Officers Charged with Terrorism and Treason

Documents filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja have revealed that six individuals, including a retired major-general and a serving police inspector, are facing charges of “terrorism” and treason related to an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu. The six suspects were in custody on Tuesday.

The government had initially denied the existence of the alleged coup plot before announcing in January that several military officers would be tried for planning to overthrow the government. In 2025, 16 military officers were arrested over “acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations,” sparking rumors of a potential coup plot.

President Tinubu reshuffled the country’s top military generals shortly after denying the alleged coup plot. The charges against the six suspects include conspiring to wage war against the state to overthrow the president, as well as conspiring with others to commit an act of terrorism.

The 13-count charge sheet names retired Major-General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani. The charges also accuse the six suspects of indirectly supporting Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji in committing an act of terrorism.

Ma’aji has been identified as the alleged mastermind of the coup in previous reports. This alleged plot comes amid a surge in coups and attempted coups in West and Central Africa, with recent incidents reported in Benin and Guinea-Bissau.

Source: Al Jazeera