₦airaland Forum

Zekeri Umoru, one of the suspected coup plotters, on Wednesday said discussions were held on switching off the electricity supply to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to aid the alleged coup targeted at President Bola Tinubu and other top government officials.

Mr Umoru, a Julius Berger Nigeria Plc employee in the Maintenance Department at the Presidential Villa, spoke in a video evidence played before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

He said he warned that such an action would immediately trigger investigations and the detention of workers on duty.

The fourth defendant stated this in the video while being questioned by some members of the Special Investigative Panel (SIP), which first investigated the case.

He alleged that Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, the alleged coup mastermind, offered him money, through Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, the third defendant, to recruit between 18 and 19 persons working inside the Villa.

Mr Umoru said those to be recruited include soldiers, officials of the State Security Service (SSS) and Julius Berger staff.

He also told the investigators that Mr Ma’aji allegedly said he wanted access to the Presidential Villa and could achieve it “with force,” even if those recruited from within the Villa declined to cooperate.

He claimed that Inspector Ibrahim later demanded N100 million from Mr Ma’aji to facilitate the operation through an ambulance route into the Villa, but that Mr Ma’aji refused because the amount was excessive.

He said Mr Ma’aji insisted that he could still gain access to the Presidential Villa by force, though “there would be bloodshed.”At some point, Mr Umoru said, he became uncomfortable with the alleged plan and repeatedly tried to return the money he had been given.

He said he felt that accessing the Presidential Villa “was no child’s play.”

He denied ever having access to the Villa’s solar power plant, despite allegations that he planned to sabotage the electricity supply within the complex.

On why he failed to report the alleged discussions to the authorities immediately, Mr Umoru claimed he was discouraged by Inspector Ibrahim, who allegedly asked him to delete the messages and avoid contacting Colonel Ma’aji because of an ongoing audit at their office.

Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the matter until May 21 for the continuation of the trial-within-trial, which is being conducted to ascertain the voluntariness or otherwise of the statements made by the six defendants.

The Federal Government, through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), had arraigned the defendants on a 13-count charge before Justice Abdulmalik

The charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, was filed on April 20 by the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).

Those named in the charge are retired Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Cap. (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Insp Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani as first to sixth defendants respectfully.

The former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who is alleged to be part of the act, is listed as being at large.

The defendants were accused of offences ranging from treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.

sweetonugbu:
Phantom coup, I thought they initially denied that there is no coup.

DomPerignon:
Very shoddy plan that left a trail of evidence by way of phone communication and bank transactions.

I am sure it was another undisclosed individual who the coup planners tried to recruit that leaked the entire plot.

Getting access to the villa is no small feat as they will need to secure the Guards Brigade barrack and another main barrack that houses all the service chiefs, DSS DG, NSA and IGP.

That's three heavily fortified locations that must be secured simultaneously

And what of the fallout from announcing the overthrow of the govt ?

That would have led to immediate collapse of Nigeria as SW will breakaway and the condemnation from the international community will be swift . The junta will be heavily sanctioned.

DomPerignon:
Very shoddy plan that left a trail of evidence by way of phone communication and bank transactions.

I am sure it was another undisclosed individual who the coup planners tried to recruit that leaked the entire plot.

Getting access to the villa is no small feat as they will need to secure the Guards Brigade barrack and another main barrack that houses all the service chiefs, DSS DG, NSA and IGP.

That's three heavily fortified locations that must be secured simultaneously

And what of the fallout from announcing the overthrow of the govt ?

That would have led to immediate collapse of Nigeria as SW will breakaway and the condemnation from the international community will be swift . The junta will be heavily sanctioned.

Aleister:
Coup suspect, you people didn’t plan well. Nigerians would have been happy if your plan worked. Fuel for neva reach N1400 by now.

sweetonugbu:
Phantom coup, I thought they initially denied that there is no coup.

DomPerignon:
Very shoddy plan that left a trail of evidence by way of phone communication and bank transactions.

I am sure it was another undisclosed individual who the coup planners tried to recruit that leaked the entire plot.

Getting access to the villa is no small feat as they will need to secure the Guards Brigade barrack and another main barrack that houses all the service chiefs, DSS DG, NSA and IGP.

That's three heavily fortified locations that must be secured simultaneously

And what of the fallout from announcing the overthrow of the govt ?

That would have led to immediate collapse of Nigeria as SW will breakaway and the condemnation from the international community will be swift . The junta will be heavily sanctioned.

dauntless15:
I'm having a hard time imagining the aftermath of the coup, will life not get harder for us after that? It'll only worsen an already torturous situation.

Worthydefender:
There are these confused people who dont even know what they want. They want coup, they want to win election, they want to break up. They keep saying there was coup, there was no coup. CONFUSED!!

BOOZELEE:
Who cares.Why are Nigerians not Sympathetic to Mr president on this failed coup?

Biodun1929:
They have already commented above you, wishing the coupe was successful...yet they also want democracy so they can rule the same country they call zoo.

Okoroawusa:
Make una try dey get sense nah! Was there a coup?