The Federal High Court on Wednesday began accelerated hearing in the trial of six men charged with involvement 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.”
The witness told the court that he was part of an investigative team constituted after the then Chief of Army Staff, General O.O. Oluyede, received intelligence reports that Colonel M.A. Ma’aji and others were planning to topple the government.
The investigation was a combined effort of the Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services (DSS) which led to the arrest of the six suspects now on trial.
The witness, led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), confirmed knowing 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.
Upon receiving the intelligence report by the then COAS, it was analysed, processed and found credible, before he (the COAS) gave a directive to his team to investigate 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.
The jotter contained, among others, operational plans, names and designations of ranking members of the current regime as well as officers that were to be assassinated in the course of the coup, he said.
The witness said: “We also found information regarding political and structural changes that were going to be made upon the execution of the coup inside 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, inside the phone we found code words known to the plotters, including some of the defendants before this court.
He added: “We also traced financial trails between some of the defendants and Col. M. A. Ma’aji. Some of the defendants were paid monies in furtherance of the coup plot.”
The witness further added that in the course of investigation, they came across a company called Purple Wave, which he claimed “is one of the companies used as a conduit to sponsor the coup plot.”
He said his team also came across the financial records of Purple Wave, which he later analysed when he was handed a copy of the company’s account statement earlier tendered in 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 later took the witness through the account statement of Purple Wave in which he identified how funds were allegedly disbursed for the purpose of 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.
He said while the first debit entry of N100m was described as part payment for clearing of debris along the coastal corridor to Purpose Wave, investigators discovered that it was not used for that purpose, but dispensed in pursuit of the coup plot.
The witness said his team discovered that several meetings were held in the course of the plot to overthrow the present government in places like Green Land Apartment and BrookVille Hotel in Abuja
His team also found that anti government rhetoric was exchanged 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 witness said: “The plotters also arranged appointments among themselves, including agencies to be set up, and those to be merged after the coup.
“The plotters also undertook extensive consultation and divination, in which some of the defendants took part, knowing that a coup was underway. They got paid to do these things.
“They also purchased vehicles that were recovered from shops where vehicles were being retrofitted for kinetic purposes.”
He said they sighted the hotels and the rooms and spaces where the meetings were held in the course of investigation. “We also recovered receipts used for payment for hotel reservations.
At that juncture, Oyedepo applied to tender a letter from BrookVille Hotel and attached documents, the payment receipts inclusive.
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 subsequently sought to tender a flash drive containing the audio visual recordings of the statement taking sessions, a move opposed by lawyers to the defendants.
Paul Erokoro (SAN), one of the defence lawyers, had objected on the ground that the device was not front loaded, a claim Oyedepo conceded, prompting the judge to insist that the prosecution must serve the defence with the audio visual recordings before they could be played in court.
The prosecution had earlier called two Compliance Officers of Jaiz Bank and SunTrust Bank. It also summoned a Legal Officer from Providus Bank.
The prosecution, through the first witness, Munahura Anas, a Compliance Officer with Jaiz Bank, tendered documents l, comprising of statement of account in relation to an account owned by 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.
