Zekari Umoru, one of six defendants standing trial over an alleged plot to topple the Bola Tinubu administration, says he was deceived into involvement and had no knowledge of any coup plan.
Umoru, an employee of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc attached to the presidential villa’s maintenance department, made the claim in a video recording of his extra-judicial statement played on Tuesday before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The fourth defendant said his contact with the group began in May 2025 through Ahmed Ibrahim, the third defendant and a police inspector attached to the presidential clinic. According to Umoru, Ibrahim introduced him to a man identified as Hassan Mohammed, later known as “Col. Mohammed Ma’aji,” to help him secure electrical jobs at a construction site.
Umoru told investigators he initially believed Ma’aji was a civilian businessman because money transfers bore the name Hassan Mohammed. He said Ma’aji repeatedly gave him cash, sometimes in Ibrahim’s presence.
In the video, Umoru described several meetings with Ma’aji and another associate identified as Usman, whom he later learned was a military officer. At one meeting at a place called “Tiger Bar,” Ma’aji bought drinks and asked about their professions before handing out between ₦100,000 and ₦120,000 to those present.
Umoru said Ma’aji handed him a ‘Ghana-Must-Go’ bag filled with cash on September 24, 2025. He deposited the money at a Zenith Bank branch, where it was counted and confirmed to be ₦8.8 million. The following day, he and Ibrahim met Ma’aji again and received another ₦2 million, with Ibrahim expected to explain its purpose later.
He said he eventually became suspicious of the repeated payments and confronted Ibrahim. According to Umoru, Ibrahim told him Ma’aji was unhappy with the state of the country and planned to “sanitise the government” with the help of unnamed associates called “boys.” Ibrahim also allegedly mentioned an ambulance driver who could help gain access to the presidential villa in exchange for financial rewards.
Despite the claims, Umoru maintained he had no knowledge of a concrete plot to overthrow the government and insisted he was misled. He also said he once helped Usman into the presidential villa after informing security that the visitor was there to see him, but later found Usman taking photographs in his office and warned him to stop.
Throughout the video evidence, Umoru denied being part of any coup plot and said he would have cut ties with Ma’aji if he had known he was a military officer allegedly involved in activities to oust the president. He also apologised to his employers and expressed support for Tinubu’s administration.
The federal government is prosecuting six suspects on 13 counts of treason, including Umoru, Ibrahim, retired captain Mohammed Gana, retired navy captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani. They were arraigned on April 22 under charge number FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026.
