Nigerian authorities have charged six individuals — including senior and retired security officers — with terrorism and treason over an alleged 2025 plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, court documents show. A seventh suspect, ex-governor Timipre Sylva, is at large. The six face a 13-count indictment alleging conspiracy to "wage war against the state" and links to Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji, whom media have named the alleged mastermind. The case unfolds amid a recent regional rise in coups and political instability in West and Central Africa.
Nigeria Charges Six With Terrorism and Treason Over Alleged 2025 Coup Plot
President of Nigeria Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the first Nigerian ruler in more than 20 years to experience a coup attempt by military officers [File: Kin Cheung/AP Photo]
Nigerian authorities have formally charged six people — including a retired major-general and a serving police inspector — with terrorism and treason over an alleged plan to overthrow President Bola Tinubu, according to documents filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
All six were reported to be in custody on Tuesday. A seventh suspect, former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva, who is accused of helping to conceal the plot, remains at large.
Details Of The Charges
Prosecutors filed a 13-count charge sheet that, among other allegations, says the suspects "conspired with one another to wage war against the state to overthrow the president of the Federal Republic."
Prosecutors allege the defendants also conspired to commit acts of terrorism and "indirectly" but "knowingly" provided support to Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji and others to carry out those acts.
The indictment names retired Major-General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni and Abdulkadir Sani as the accused.
Background And Wider Context
The six were among a broader group of 16 military officers detained in 2025 after the military described their conduct as "acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations," an episode that fuelled rumours of a coup attempt. The government initially denied any coup plot but later said some officers would face trial.
Soon after the events surfaced, President Tinubu carried out a reshuffle of the country's top military leadership.
Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji has been identified in Nigerian media as the alleged "mastermind" of the purported plot; authorities say the six charged knowingly provided support to him and others.
Regional Resonance
The alleged 2025 coup plot comes amid a string of coups and attempted takeovers across West and Central Africa in recent years — most recently incidents reported in Benin and Guinea-Bissau — a trend analysts link to contested elections, constitutional disputes, security breakdowns and youth discontent.
Legal proceedings are ongoing. The Federal High Court filings set out the charges but do not yet indicate a final trial timeline.
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