One of the accused persons standing trial in the alleged bid to violently topple the government of President Bola Tinubu, Zekeri Umoru, has admitted that he got involved in the coup plot in 2025 right inside the Presidential Villa.
Umoru, the fourth accused person and an employee in the maintenance department at the Presidential Villa, working with Julius Berger Nigeria, said he was co-opted into the coup plot by one Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, attached to the Presidential Clinic.
In a recorded video of his extra-judicial statement made in respect of the coup plot, Umoru narrated how his contact with individuals later identified as key figures in the plot began in May 2025 through the third defendant, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, attached to the Presidential Clinic.
He told investigators that Inspector Ibrahim introduced him to a man named Hassan Mohammed, who he later identified as Colonel Mohammed “Ma’aji,” under the pretext of offering him electrical work at a building under construction.
Umoru said he initially believed Ma’aji was a civilian businessman after receiving money transfers bearing his name.
The accused person recounted multiple instances where he received money from Colonel Ma’aji, sometimes in the presence of Ibrahim. He also described several visits by Ma’aji and another associate, Usman, whom he later discovered to be military personnel.
He told the court that during one meeting at a location identified as “Tiger Bar,” Ma’aji gave money ranging between ₦100,000 and ₦120,000 to him and his associates after buying drinks and making inquiries about their professions.
A more significant transaction, according to the video, occurred on September 24, 2025, when Ma’aji allegedly handed him a “Ghana Must Go” bag containing cash.
Umoru said he deposited the money at a branch of Zenith Bank, where it was counted as N8.8 million.
He further testified that the following day, he and Inspector Ibrahim met Ma’aji again, during which an additional N2 million was given, with instructions that Ibrahim would later brief him on further details.
Umoru told investigators that he later became uncomfortable with the continuous flow of money and pressed Ibrahim for clarification.
According to him, Ibrahim claimed that Ma’aji was dissatisfied with the state of the country and was planning to “sanitize the government,” allegedly with the support of unnamed associates described as “boys.”
He further alleged that Ibrahim suggested a plan involving an ambulance driver to facilitate access into the Presidential Villa, with expectations of financial gain.
However, Umoru maintained in the video that he was unaware of any concrete plan and insisted he never knowingly participated in any plot.
The defendant also described an incident where he escorted Usman into the Presidential Villa. He stated that security personnel at the gate did not question them after he indicated that the visitor was there to see him.
He said he later found Usman taking photographs in his office and warned him against such actions.
Throughout the recorded interview, Umoru denied knowledge of any coup plot, insisting that he was misled by Ibrahim.
He stated that he would have distanced himself from Ma’aji had he known he was a military officer or had any intention beyond business dealings.
Umoru also expressed regret, apologising to his employers and affirming his support for President Tinubu’s administration.
The court also viewed a separate video involving an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Imam Kassim Goni, who said he relocated to Karu in Abuja after fleeing insurgency in Maiduguri.
Goni, who denied any involvement in the coup plot, told investigators that he received funds from Colonel Ma’aji strictly for prayers and charitable purposes, including requests for spiritual intervention following alleged setbacks in promotion.
He maintained that all cash received was tied to religious activities, not political or military objectives.
However, investigators in the video pointed out discrepancies between his claims and financial records, indicating that funds had been transferred to him as early as March 2023, months before the alleged promotion issues he referenced.
Additional records showed transactions running into millions of naira, including a N10 million transfer in October 2024.
The investigators suggested that discussions referenced in the videos, including remarks about gaining access and acquiring “work tools,” raised concerns about a broader scheme, though both individuals denied any knowledge of a coup plot.
Following the preview of the video-recorded extra-judicial statement, counsel to the sixth defendant and Senior Advocate Michael Numa told the court he had just received the video exhibits of his client, adding that he needed more time to review them.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter to May 11, 12 and 13 for continuation of trial.
