The suspect admitted to playing a role in the plan to overthrow the Tinubu government

Individuals arraigned before the Federal High Court, Abuja in connection with an alleged coup plot against the government of President Bola Tinubu on Monday recounted their roles in the alleged plot.

They provided a narrative in video evidence that was played in open court regarding the traces of six people suspected of being plotters in the coup where they gave statements about their role in the alleged plot.

Following objections from the defense that the statements were not made voluntarily, the judge ordered the recordings to be played in open court for review before they could be officially accepted as evidence.

In one of the videos played in court, retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana confirmed that he was in good health when he gave his statement to investigators.

Gana told the special investigative panel that he retired from the Nigerian Army in 2010 as Chief of Defense Logistics and has since lived a quiet life, insisting that he was not involved in any act of indiscipline.

However, in the recording, he admitted that his name had surfaced in connection with the alleged plot following the transfer of N2M which investigators linked to him.

He also admitted to forwarding a document described as a coup-related speech to Colonel Maji, but stated that he did not write or edit it, and insisted that he simply passed it on.

However, investigators heard in the video stated that the coup speech obtained by Colonel Maji appeared to reflect the contents of documents allegedly sent by Gana earlier.

He denied allegations that he carried out surveillance at the Presidential Villa or participated in fundraising efforts, including claims that he solicited billions of naira from former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva.

Another video shown in court featured Navy Captain Erasmus Victor (ret.), who said he was aware of discussions regarding an alleged plot to overthrow the government after repeated complaints from Colonel Maji over promotion delays.

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Victor stated that he advised against such action and instead recommended retirement as a valid option.

However, he admitted on tape that he was approached to support the alleged plan, including a request for help sourcing funds, with assurances that he would be considered for the position of Chief of Staff to the President if the plan was successful.

Victor insisted that he denied involvement, but maintained that he continued communications via a secure messaging platform that allegedly used coded language.

He expressed regret in the video and asked for clemency, saying he found himself in the “wrong situation at the wrong time.”

Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, who is on duty at State House, also featured prominently in video evidence played in court.

He told investigators that he was initially approached to help Colonel Maji get a promotion through official contacts.

Based on his statement, the discussion then shifted from promotions to alleged plans to overthrow the government.

He admitted receiving between N1.4m and N1.5m and said he participated in surveillance operations around the Presidential Villa.

The inspector said he photographed strategic areas, including the President’s residence and its surroundings, and discussed possible access points.

He also confirmed that coded words such as “fertilizer” and “agriculture” were used in conversations to refer to funding and operational discussions.

In another recording, Zekeri Umoru admitted to connecting Colonel Maji with contacts and escorting him and other people around the Presidential Villa area.

Umoru said he met Maji during Ramadan activities in 2025 and later learned of discussions regarding an alleged coup plot.

He confirmed receiving money from Colonel Maji, including payments during Sallah and at his wedding ceremony, but insisted he did not believe the alleged plans would materialize.

He also admitted to facilitating movement around sensitive locations, but emphasized that his role was limited to introductions and logistics.