Two of six defendants admitted in court on Monday they knew about an alleged coup plot against President Tinubu. Video recordings presented as evidence captured their separate confessions at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Retired Navy captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor and police inspector Ahmed Ibrahim made the damning admissions. The hard drive evidence showed three defendants being interviewed, though only two acknowledged knowledge of the scheme.
Victor said he knew Colonel M. A.
Ma'aji, the alleged mastermind. According to him, the officer complained repeatedly about stalled promotions and expressed frustration with the system.
The retired captain noted that Ma'aji asked him for financial help and assistance securing lodging for plotters. In return, Victor said, he was promised a government appointment if the plan worked.
Victor denied getting involved in the plot. He admitted, however, that he communicated with Ma'aji using coded language on a secure messaging app.
He regretted not reporting the matter to authorities. His relationship with the suspect had kept him silent, he confessed in the recording.
Ibrahim, attached to the State House as a police inspector, gave a similar account. He said discussions initially centered on helping Ma'aji with his stalled promotion.
Those conversations later turned to overthrowing the government entirely, Ibrahim told investigators. He admitted receiving between N1.4 million and N1.5 million in what he called a lapse in judgment.
Ibrahim confirmed conducting reconnaissance around the Presidential Villa and Aguda House. He said he took photographs of specific sections and mapped out potential access routes.
Words like "fertiliser" and "farming" were used as code for money and the operation, he explained. Despite his involvement, Ibrahim doubted the plan would ever succeed.
The third defendant featured in the videos, retired Major-General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, denied everything. He said he'd lived peacefully since retiring from the Nigerian Army in 2010.
Gana acknowledged knowing Ma'aji and was aware of his promotion troubles. But he flatly rejected any knowledge of a coup scheme.
He would have reported such a plot immediately, Gana insisted to investigators. Authorities linked him to a N2 million transfer during their probe.
Gana admitted forwarding a coup speech and anti-government messages on WhatsApp. He claimed he didn't originate these messages and simply passed them along.
He denied participating in reconnaissance activities or fund-raising efforts. Three other defendants — Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani — were absent from the video recordings.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik postponed the case until Tuesday, May 5. The court will resume hearing arguments when proceedings resume next week.
