Alleged Coup Plot: Suspect Tells Court Of Plan To Cut Power To Presidential Villa
A suspected coup plotter, Zekeri Umoru, has alleged before the Federal High Court in Abuja that discussions were held on cutting off electricity supply to the Presidential Villa as part of an alleged plan to execute a coup.
Umoru, an employee of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc working in the Maintenance Department at the Presidential Villa, made the allegation in a video evidence presented on Wednesday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik during a trial-within-trial.
The Federal Government is prosecuting six defendants on charges bordering on treason, terrorism, money laundering linked to terrorism financing, and failure to disclose security intelligence.
In the video shown in court, Umoru, identified as the fourth defendant, was seen being interrogated by members of the Special Investigative Panel that initially handled the matter.
He told investigators that he warned against any attempt to shut down electricity at the Presidential Villa, saying such an action would immediately attract scrutiny and likely expose workers on duty.
Umoru also denied having access to the Villa’s solar power facility despite allegations linking him to plans to disrupt electricity supply within the complex.
According to him, he became uncomfortable with the alleged plot because access to the Presidential Villa was highly restricted and “not a child’s play.”
Alleged Recruitment Of Insiders
Umoru further alleged that one of the accused persons, Col. Mohammed Ma’aji, allegedly offered him money through Insp. Ahmed Ibrahim to recruit between 18 and 19 insiders working within the Presidential Villa.
He claimed those allegedly targeted included soldiers, personnel of the Department of State Services, and staff of Julius Berger attached to the facility.
According to Umoru, Ma’aji allegedly insisted on gaining access to the Presidential Villa and threatened that force could be used if insiders refused to cooperate.
He also alleged that Insp. Ibrahim later demanded ₦100 million from Ma’aji to facilitate access into the Villa through an ambulance route, but the proposal was allegedly rejected for being too expensive.
Umoru told investigators that Ma’aji allegedly maintained he could still force entry into the Presidential Villa even if it resulted in bloodshed.
The defendant further stated that he later attempted to return money allegedly given to him after becoming uneasy about the discussions.
Why Plot Was Not Reported
Explaining why he failed to alert authorities, Umoru claimed that Insp. Ibrahim discouraged him from reporting the matter.
He alleged that Ibrahim instructed him to delete messages and avoid further communication with Ma’aji because of an ongoing audit within their workplace.
Justice Abdulmalik subsequently adjourned proceedings for continuation of the trial-within-trial aimed at determining whether statements obtained from the defendants were made voluntarily.
The defendants in the matter include retired Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, Capt. Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Insp. Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukr Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani, while former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, was listed as being at large.
