The fourth defendant in the alleged coup plot trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Zekeri Umoru, has denied any knowledge of a plan to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu, insisting he was “misled” by associates.
Umoru, a maintenance staff attached to the Presidential Villa and working with Julius Berger Nigeria, made the denial in a video recording played in open court on Tuesday as part of the prosecution’s evidence against six defendants facing trial over the alleged plot.
Proceedings opened on a sombre note as defence lawyers informed the court of the death of a colleague, U.H. Kamra, who reportedly died in a car accident shortly after Monday’s sitting. Trial judge, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, ordered a minute’s silence before directing that proceedings continue.
In the recorded statement, Umoru told investigators that his involvement began after he was introduced to individuals linked to the case by the third defendant, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, said to be attached to the Presidential Clinic.
He said Ibrahim introduced him to one Hassan Mohammed, whom he later discovered to be Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji. According to Umoru, he initially believed Ma’aji was a civilian businessman offering him electrical contract work at a construction site.
The defendant recounted receiving multiple cash payments during meetings involving Ibrahim and another associate identified as Usman. He alleged that at a meeting in a location identified as Tiger Bar, Ma’aji gave between ₦100,000 and ₦120,000 to him and others after drinks and casual discussions about their professions.
Umoru further claimed that on September 24, 2025, Ma’aji handed him a “Ghana Must Go” bag filled with cash, which he deposited at a branch of Zenith Bank. The sum was allegedly counted at ₦8.8 million. He added that another ₦2 million was given the following day at a separate meeting involving Inspector Ibrahim.
Despite these transactions, Umoru maintained he had no knowledge of any coup plan.
“I was misled,” he said in the video, adding that he would have distanced himself from Ma’aji if he had known his true identity or any alleged intentions beyond business dealings.
He told investigators that he later became suspicious and demanded explanations from Ibrahim, who allegedly told him that Ma’aji was dissatisfied with the state of the country and intended to “sanitise the government” with support from unnamed associates described as “boys.”
Umoru also admitted escorting one of the associates into the Presidential Villa, stating that security personnel allowed entry after he identified the visitor as someone coming to see him. He claimed he later cautioned the individual after noticing him taking photographs within his office.
In a separate video played in court, Islamic cleric Sheikh Imam Kassim Goni denied any involvement in the alleged plot, insisting that funds he received from Ma’aji were for prayers and charitable activities.
However, investigators pointed to financial records showing transactions running into millions of naira, including an alleged ₦10 million transfer in October 2024, which they argued contradicted aspects of his claims.
The prosecution further argued that conversations captured in the videos—referencing access to sensitive locations and acquisition of “work tools”—suggested a coordinated scheme, though the defendants denied any link to a coup attempt.
Following the presentation of the video evidence, counsel to the sixth defendant, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Michael Numa, requested more time to review the materials, stating that the exhibits had only just been served on him.
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While defence lawyers pushed for adjournment, Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, urged the court to proceed in line with its earlier directive for accelerated hearing.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned the matter to May 11, 12 and 13 for continuation of trial.
Earlier proceedings had seen the court review separate video statements in which other defendants allegedly admitted to coded communications, meetings, and reconnaissance activities around the Presidential Villa, but denied any concrete plan to topple the government.
