The Federal High Court on Wednesday began an accelerated hearing in the trial of six men accused of being involved in an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The case for the prosecution was opened by four witnesses, including a member of the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police (NACMP) who testified under protection and was identified only as “AAA.”
He told the court that he was part of the investigative team formed after intelligence reports reached the then Chief of Army Staff, General O.O. Oluyede, that Colonel M.A. Ma’aji and others were planning to overthrow the government.
The six suspects now on trial were arrested as a result of an investigation jointly carried out by the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services (DSS).
The witness, who was led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), confirmed that he knew the six defendants.
The witness said he knew the defendants, who he said were arrested in connection with the coup plot involving Col. Ma’aji, some other serving military officers and civilians.
On receiving the intelligence report by the then COAS, it was analysed, processed and found to be credible, before he (the COAS) gave a directive to his team to probe the allegations in the report, he said.
The witness said his team proceeded to arrest Col Ma’aji, recovered his Samsung Galaxy phone, conducted search in his residence and recovered a jotter amongst other items.
Also in the notebook were operational plans, the names and designations of ranking members of the current regime and the officers to be assassinated in the coup, he said.
The witness said: “We also found information on political and structural changes that were going to be made upon the execution of the coup in the jotter.
“The forensic analysis on the phone recovered from Col. Ma’aji, revealed elaborate plans and links between Col Ma’aji, some of the officers involved in the plot and the defendants,” he said.
“We also discovered financial trails between Ma’aji, former Governor Timipre Sylva and some of the defendants here in court,” the witness added.
“Also, we found code words in the phone known to the plotters, including some of the defendants before this court.
“We also tracked down financial trails between some of the defendants and Col. M. A. Ma’aji,” he said. “Some of the defendants were paid money to advance the coup plot.”
“They also found a company called Purple Wave in the course of investigation, which he alleged “is one of the companies used as a conduit to sponsor the coup plot.”
He said his team also found the financial records of Purple Wave, which he later looked over after being given a copy of the company’s account statement that had been earlier submitted as evidence by the prosecution.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), the agency that investigated the financial transactions provided the financial records of the company, he said.
Oyedepo then took the witness through the account statement of Purple Wave and pointed out how funds were allegedly disbursed for the alleged coup.
The witness said entries dated September 19, 2025, showed a debit transaction of N100m and another debit transaction of N50m.
He stated that on 22nd of September, 2025, there were two debit transactions of N100m and N50m, on 24th of September, 2025, N100m and N50m, on 26th of September, 2025, N80m, on 29th of September, 2025, N70m, on 30th of September, 2025, N90m and on 2nd of October, 2025, N90m.
The witness said though the transactions carried narrations of what the funds were meant for, investigation showed that the money was used for the coup plot.
Investigators discovered that the first debit entry of N100m, described as part payment for clearing of debris along the coastal corridor to Purpose Wave, was not used for that purpose, but dispensed in pursuit of the coup plot, he said.
The witness said his team discovered that several meetings were held in the course of the plot to overthrow the present government in places including Green Land Apartment and BrookVille Hotel in Abuja.
His team also discovered that anti-government rhetoric was traded in the meetings, he said. “They spoke about negative things about the government and said that there is a need for regime change.”
The witness said the alleged plotters drew up a plan for the execution of the coup and identified key officers in the government and also identified the officers that will assassinate them.
He said the alleged coup plotters also identified key targets to be attacked, including the Niger barracks where senior military officers live, adding that there were also plans to take over some key roads and streets when the coup was being executed.
“The plotters also set appointments for themselves including agencies to be created and those to be merged after the coup.
“There was much consultation and divination in which some of the defendants participated, knowing that a coup was on. They were paid for doing these things.
They also purchased vehicles that had been recovered from shops retrofitting vehicles for kinetic purposes.
“They saw the hotels, they saw the rooms, they saw the spaces where the meetings were held during the course of the investigation,” he said. “We also recovered receipts used to pay for the hotel reservations.
At that point, Oyedepo filed to tender a letter from BrookVille Hotel and attached the documents, including the payment receipts.
The lawyers for the defendants objected to the admissibility of the documents but promised to give their reasons at the final address stage, after which Justice Joyce Abdulmalik admitted the documents as evidence.
The court also admitted in evidence extracts of the phone recovered from Col. Ma’aji which was tendered by Oyedepo.
The witness said the defendants volunteered to give written statements before the special investive panel was set up, adding that the sessions for taking statements were also audio visually recorded.
He said they also made voluntary written statements before the Military Police which was also recorded on video.
The witness said Abdulkadir Sani (the sixth defendant), who was the last to be arrested, did not make his statement before the special investigative panel but before the Military Police.
Oyedepo later sought to tender in evidence a flash drive containing the audio and visual recordings of the statement taking sessions, which was opposed by the lawyers to the defendants.
One of the defence counsel, Paul Erokoro (SAN), had objected on the ground that the device was not front loaded, a claim Oyedepo conceded, which made the judge insist that the prosecution must serve the defence with the audio visual recordings before they could be played in court.
Earlier, two Compliance Officers of Jaiz Bank and SunTrust Bank were called by the prosecution. It also summoned a Legal Officer from Providus Bank.
Through the first witness, Munahura Anas, a Compliance Officer with Jaiz Bank, the prosecution tendered documents l that is statement of account in respect of an account belonging to the sixth defendant, Abdulkadir Sani.
It tendered through the second witness, Taiwo Adeola Wellington, a Compliance Officer with SunTrust Bank, documents relating to an accountant maintained by Purple Wave Ltd.
The prosecution also tendered documents including account statement relating to an account owned by a firm, A & A Express Link through the third witness for the day, Gideon Elijah, a Legal Officer from Providus Bank.
The defence counsel cross-examined the first three bank witnesses.
The hearing in the case was further adjourned till May 4 and 5 at 11 am when the fourth prosecution witness will continue his testimony.
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