Six individuals, including retired military officers, face trial in Abuja over alleged coup plot
via Punch Nigeria14 min read
Six individuals, including two retired senior military officers and a serving police inspector, are set to be arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja today, April 22, 2026. The defendants, retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Naval Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani, face 13 counts. These charges include conspiracy, attempt to commit treason, terrorism, failure to disclose security intelligence, financing terrorism, and money laundering. Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, is also named in the charge but is currently at large. The prosecution alleges that the defendants conspired in 2025 to wage war against Nigeria and overthrow the President. They are also accused of failing to report knowledge of a planned treasonable act involving Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others, and of indirectly supporting acts of terrorism. Specific financial transactions linked to terrorism financing are also detailed in the charges against Abdulkadir Sani, Bukar Kashim Goni, Zekeri Umoru, and Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim. These developments occur amidst ongoing investigations into an alleged coup plot, which led to the arrest of 16 military officers in 2025. The military has established a court martial to try serving personnel implicated in the case, who have now been granted access to their lawyers. Wives of detained officers, including Nana Usman and Shafa’atu Ali
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Former Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, stated she is "depressed" after the Cape Town Regional Court postponed judgment in her deportation case until August 19. The court reserved judgment on whether Adetshina should be detained pending deportation after hearing arguments from her legal team and South Africa's Department of Home Affairs. The 25-year-old was arrested in June over allegations of residing in South Africa illegally. The Department of Home Affairs argued Adetshina lacks required immigration documents, should be detained, and still possesses a South African passport despite holding Nigerian citizenship. Prosecutors also claimed she obtained Nigerian passports in Lagos before re-entering South Africa via Mozambique. Her legal team countered that she was born in South Africa, has no significant ties to Nigeria, and is not a flight risk. They argued the Department of Home Affairs failed to conduct a fair investigation before invalidating her documents and noted her citizenship is subject to a separate High Court challenge. Her lawyers proposed she report to an immigration officer every two weeks instead of detention. Presiding Magistrate Reema Khorana encouraged an out-of-court settlement, but no agreement was reached. A recent Western Cape High Court ruling complicated proceedings by stating magistrates lack authority to issue arrest warrants for immigration detention. Adetshina shared an emotional message on Instagram, stating, "Exhausted – Yes, Burnt out
The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to use the Ecological Fund to combat shoreline erosion endangering a significant indigenous petrochemical investment in Bayelsa State. This appeal followed a motion by Oforji Oboku, representing Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency, who highlighted the threat to the Eraskorp Industrial Park in Gbarain, Yenagoa Local Government Area. The Eraskon Lubricants/Chemicals Blending Plant, a private-sector initiative, aims to reduce Nigeria's reliance on imported lubricants and chemical products, supporting industrialization and economic diversification. The facility, which includes a lubricant and chemical blending plant with a 128,000 liters per day production capacity, an aerosol manufacturing plant, and a carton production factory, had reached an advanced stage of construction before erosion caused severe damage. Oboku noted that the Integrated Manufacturing Complex building, 75 percent complete, had to be dismantled due to foundation destruction, and most process equipment is already on site. Abandoning the project would have significant economic consequences, including the loss of over 200 direct and 1,000 indirect jobs, and would hinder growth for small and medium-scale enterprises. The House mandated its Committee on Ecological Fund to oversee the implementation of the resolution and report back within six weeks.
Dennis Amachree, a former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services, states in his memoir, "DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield," that the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, believed he was invincible. Amachree highlights that despite extensive security, Abacha's death underscores the transient nature of power. He questions why prominent figures allegedly propagated conflicting accounts of Abacha's death, viewing this as indicative of a broader issue of misinformation and lack of accountability in Nigeria, which he argues has hindered the country's progress. Amachree also recalls that before his death in June 1998, Abacha was reportedly planning to transition from a military ruler to a civilian president, having perfected plans for self-succession by forming political parties that adopted him as their presidential candidate, creating the impression of a democratic transition while serving his political ambition.