The Federal Government has filed a 13-count charge before a Federal High Court in Abuja against former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, and six others over an alleged plot to wage war against Nigeria and commit acts of terrorism.
Those listed alongside Sylva include Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (retd), Captain (NN) Erasmus Victor (retd), Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani. They are expected to be arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Wednesday. Sylva is reportedly at large.
The charge, filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and signed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, accuses the defendants of treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.
According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly conspired in 2025 to undermine the Nigerian state. They were accused of planning to “levy war against the state to overawe the President,” an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code.
The government further alleged that the accused had prior knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving one Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji but failed to report it to authorities. Prosecutors claimed they did not take reasonable steps to prevent the act, nor did they disclose vital intelligence to security agencies.
In addition to treason, the defendants face terrorism-related charges under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Some of them, particularly Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim and Zekeri Umoru, were accused of attending meetings aimed at promoting activities capable of destabilizing Nigeria’s constitutional structure.
The case also includes allegations of terrorism financing. Bukar Goni is accused of retaining N50 million linked to unlawful activities, while Abdulkadir Sani allegedly held N2 million. Umoru reportedly received N10 million in cash and retained an additional N8.8 million, while Inspector Ibrahim allegedly handled N1 million from similar sources.
All financial charges were filed under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
