By Abiola Olawale
The Federal High Court in Abuja heard startling revelations on Wednesday as a star witness detailed how security agencies connected former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, to an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The witness, testifying before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, provided a blow-by-blow account of the intelligence gathering that led to the 13-count charge of treason, terrorism, and money laundering currently facing Sylva and six others.
According to the witness who is an officer of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the breakthrough in the investigation came through a combination of intercepted communications and financial records. The prosecution alleges that Sylva, who is currently at large, played a central role in coordinating meetings and providing financial backing for the plot.
The witness gave evidence in the trial of a retired major-general and five others facing 13 counts bordering on treason, terrorism, failure to disclose information, and money laundering.
The defendants are Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, a retired major-general; Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, a retired navy captain; Ahmed Ibrahim, a police inspector; Zekeri Umoru, an electrician at the Presidential Villa; Bukar Kashim Goni; and Abdulkadir Sani, an Islamic cleric.
They were arraigned on 22 April, and all pleaded not guilty.
During the court proceedings before Justice Abdulmalik, the prosecution called four witnesses.
The witnesses included three bank officials from Jaiz Bank, SunTrust Bank, and Providus Bank, who tendered correspondence with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and related account documents admitted in evidence.
The fourth witness, the Army officer, testified under protective measures granted by the court under Section 232 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), with his identity shielded from public disclosure on security grounds.
Prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that protection was necessary to prevent “unnecessary attack” on the witness as the trial progresses.
Defence lawyers did not oppose the request but insisted that the identity of the witness must still be known to them for a fair hearing.
Justice Abdulmalik, however, granted full protective cover, ordering that the witness’s name be excluded from open court records.
Led in evidence, the officer told the court that intelligence reports received by the then Chief of Army Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, now Chief of Defence Staff, indicated that a serving officer, Col Mohammed Maaji, was allegedly coordinating a plot with some military personnel and civilians, including former Bayelsa State Governor, Sylva.
He said the intelligence was analysed and found credible, prompting a formal investigation.
“Upon receipt of the intelligence report, it was analysed, processed and found to be credible, and the Chief of Army Staff directed our team to investigate the allegations,” he told the court.
The witness said Maaji was subsequently arrested and electronic devices recovered from him, including a Samsung Galaxy Z-series phone and a jotter allegedly containing operational plans.
According to him, the recovered materials contained names, designations, and what investigators described as “structural plans for regime change.”
He added, “Inside the jotter, we found operational plans, names and designation of ranking members of the current regime as well as officers that were to be assassinated,” he said.
He further told the court that forensic examination of the phone revealed communications allegedly linking Maaji to some of the defendants and other individuals already before the court.
The officer also said investigators recovered what he described as “post-coup arrangements,” including lists of officials to be targeted and proposed structural changes to government institutions.
The witness also testified that financial investigations uncovered alleged monetary transactions linking Col Maaji, some of the defendants, and former Governor Sylva.
He said a company, Purple Waves Limited, was identified as a possible conduit for funding activities under investigation.
“We found financial trails between Col Maaji, Mr Sylva, and some of the defendants,” he said.
He told the court that EFCC-assisted analysis of bank records showed multiple transactions running into hundreds of millions of naira between September and October 2025.
The transactions, he said, included transfers of N100m, N80m, N70m, N50m, and N90m, executed on different dates within the period under review.
However, when the prosecution sought to tender video recordings of the statements, defence lawyers objected, arguing that the materials were not frontloaded and that admitting them at that stage would be prejudicial.
Justice Abdulmalik noted that the prosecution admitted the documents were not frontloaded and ordered compliance with procedural requirements before adjourning the matter.
The court subsequently adjourned the trial to May 4 for continuation of the hearing.
