The trial of six suspects accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration continued Tuesday as the court viewed a recorded statement from the 4th defendant, Zekeri Umoru, a maintenance department employee at the Presidential Villa working with Julius Berger Nigeria.
In the video played before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, Umoru detailed how he was drawn into contact with key figures in the alleged plot through the 3rd defendant, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim of the Presidential Clinic, beginning in May 2025.
Umoru said Ibrahim introduced him to a man named Hassan Mohammed, whom he later identified as Colonel Mohammed “Ma’aji.” He claimed he was initially told Ma’aji needed electrical work done at a building under construction and believed him to be a civilian businessman after receiving money transfers in that name.
The witness said Ma’aji met him and associates multiple times, often in Ibrahim’s presence, handing over between ₦100,000 and ₦120,000 after buying drinks and asking about their professions at a location called “Tiger Bar.”
The transaction escalated on September 24, 2025, when Ma’aji allegedly gave him a “Ghana Must Go” bag containing cash. Umoru said he deposited it at Zenith Bank, where it was counted as ₦8.8 million.
The next day, he and Ibrahim met Ma’aji again and received another ₦2 million, with Ibrahim instructed to brief him on further details.
Umoru said he grew uneasy with the steady flow of money and pressed Ibrahim for answers. According to him, Ibrahim claimed Ma’aji was “dissatisfied with the state of the country” and planned to “sanitize the government,” allegedly with support from unnamed “boys.”
Ibrahim also suggested a plan involving an ambulance driver to gain access to the Presidential Villa, with promises of financial reward, Umoru told investigators.
He maintained he was unaware of any concrete coup plan and insisted he never knowingly participated in one. “I would have distanced myself from Ma’aji had I known he was a military officer or had any intention beyond business dealings,” Umoru said in the video.
He also described escorting another associate, Usman, into the Villa. Security at the gate did not stop them after he said the visitor was there to see him. Umoru said he later found Usman taking photographs in his office and warned him to stop.
Umoru apologized to his employers and affirmed his support for the Tinubu administration.
The court also viewed a separate video of Islamic cleric Sheikh Imam Kassim Goni, who said he relocated to Karu, Abuja, after fleeing insurgency in Maiduguri.
Goni denied involvement in any coup plot, saying funds from Colonel Ma’aji were strictly for prayers and charity, including requests for spiritual intervention after alleged promotion setbacks.
Investigators, however, pointed to discrepancies in his account. Records showed transfers to Goni as early as March 2023 — months before the promotion issues he cited — including a ₦10 million transfer in October 2024.
The prosecution argued that discussions in the videos about gaining access and acquiring “work tools” pointed to a broader scheme. Both Umoru and Goni denied knowledge of any coup plan.
Director of Public Prosecutions Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, informed the court that the 6th defendant’s video was on a separate device and had been handed to defence counsel Michael Numa, SAN. Numa said he had just received it and needed time to review.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter to *May 11, 12 and 13* for continuation of trial.
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