Alleged coup: Court plays video showing navy captain and police inspector admitting knowledge of plot

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday played video recordings in which a retired naval officer and a serving police inspector allegedly admitted knowledge of a plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu..

The recordings, presented by the prosecution, were part of the proceedings in the ongoing trial of six defendants accused of involvement in the alleged coup.

In footage shown before the court, a retired navy captain, Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, and a police inspector, Ahmed Ibrahim, were heard making statements to investigators about their awareness of the alleged plot.

Inspector Ibrahim, attached to State House, admitted during interrogation that he had received between 1.4 and 1.5 million dollars to carry out a reconnaissance around the presidential villa. He said the assignment included taking photographs of sensitive areas, including the President’s residence and its surroundings, as well as identifying possible access routes.

It also revealed that coded language such as “fertilizer” and “agriculture” was used in the discussions to refer to funding and operational plans.

Ibrahim, however, said his actions were influenced by poor judgment and his relationship with the alleged mastermind, insisting that he did not believe the plot could be successfully executed due to tight security at State House.

Also in the video, Victor admitted that he was aware of the discussions about overthrowing the government, but that he had not reported the matter to the authorities. He told investigators that the alleged mastermind, identified as Colonel M.A. Ma’aji, had expressed frustration at the promotion stalemate and, “out of anger,” had talked about overthrowing the government.

Victor said he advised Ma’aji against such plans and instead suggested retirement. He added that he was asked to provide financial support and assistance in raising funds for the operation, as well as secure housing for the conspirators, with the promise of an appointment from the government if the plan was successful.

The retired naval officer said he has refused all requests and is not part of any operating agreement. However, he admitted to maintaining communication with the alleged conspirators via a secure messaging platform where coded language was used.

Expressing remorse, Victor told investigators he regretted not reporting the matter, attributing his silence to his personal relationship with the prime suspect. He appealed for leniency, describing his situation as “being in the wrong place at the wrong time”.

“I am so sorry to find myself in this situation,” he said, urging authorities to forgive him in light of his years of service in the Navy.

Meanwhile, a former major general, Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, who was also featured in the video, denied having any knowledge of the coup plot. He told investigators that although he knew Ma’aji, he was not aware of any plans to overthrow the government.

Gana admitted to forwarding a past coup speech and some anti-government messages via WhatsApp, but insisted he had neither written nor edited the materials. He also denied participating in any reconnaissance or fundraising missions linked to the alleged plot.

During the proceedings, the defenders challenged the admissibility of the video evidence, arguing that the statements had not been made voluntarily and should not have been played in open court before being formally admitted.

However, the trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, rejected the objections and allowed the videos to be played, stressing that this procedure is in line with standard judicial practice.

The judge, however, found that a trial within a trial would be conducted to determine the voluntariness of the statements.

The court later adjourned the case to Tuesday for continuation of the trial.

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Pelican Valley‘

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