A defendant in the alleged coup plot trial, Zekari Umoru, has told a Federal High Court in Abuja that he was deceived by co-suspects and was unaware of any plan to overthrow the government.
A defendant in the ongoing trial of six persons accused of plotting a coup against President Bola Tinubu’s government, Zekari Umoru, on Tuesday told the Federal High Court in Abuja that he was misled by co-suspects. Umoru, an employee of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc working in the Maintenance Department at the Presidential Villa, made the claim in a video-recorded statement presented before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Umoru is the fourth defendant in the treasonable charge.
In the video evidence, Umoru narrated how his involvement began in May 2025 through the third defendant, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, who introduced him to a man identified as Hassan Mohammed, later known to him as “Col. Mohammed Ma’aji,” under the guise of offering electrical work. He said he initially believed Ma’aji was a civilian businessman, especially after receiving money transfers in his name. Umoru recounted receiving several cash payments, including amounts ranging between ₦100,000 and ₦120,000 during meetings at a location identified as “Tiger Bar,” and a larger sum of ₦8.8 million handed to him in a “Ghana-Must-Go” bag on September 24, 2025, which he deposited at a Zenith Bank branch. He added that he later received an additional ₦2 million the following day.
Umoru told investigators he became suspicious over the continuous payments and sought clarification from Ibrahim, who allegedly said Ma’aji planned to “sanitise the government” with support from unnamed associates. He also claimed Ibrahim suggested a plan involving an ambulance driver to gain access into the Presidential Villa. However, Umoru insisted he was unaware of any concrete plot to overthrow the government and maintained that his involvement was unintentional. He further described an instance where he accompanied an associate into the Presidential Villa without being questioned by security personnel after identifying the visitor as someone coming to see him.
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