How I offered spiritual consultancy for coup attempt leader, defendant says in video recording

Abdulkadir Sani, one of the six defendants facing coup charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja, has explained how he offered spiritual consultancy for the leader of last year’s failed plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.

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Mr Sani, a Zaria, Kaduna State-based Islamic cleric, said this in a video recording tendered by the prosecution and played during Monday’s proceedings in the coup trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The defendant said in the video, which captured moments of his interrogations by military investigators, that he knew the alleged coup ringleader, Mohammed Ma’aji, a serving army colonel, for less than a year. He said Mr Ma’aji approached him through a man identified as Sanda, requesting prayers concerning the alleged coup plot.

According to him, Sanda informed him that his “Oga” intended to stage a coup and needed spiritual prayers and divination regarding its success.

The defendant, who said he received money from Mr Ma’aji through their go-between, added that he gave a warning that the coup would fail due to betrayal from two persons involved in the plot. He said he was again contacted to pray against the possible betrayal from the two persons.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that, on 22 April, the federal government arraigned Mr Sani alongside a retired army general, Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, and four others.

The four other defendants are Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, a retired navy captain; Ahmed Ibrahim, a police inspector; and Zekeri Umoru, an electrician at the Presidential Villa, and Bukar Kashim Goni.

They were accused of being part of a conspiracy to topple the President Tinubu-led government. Information about the alleged secret plot was leaked to the authorities last September, leading to the arrest of serving and retired military officers alongside their alleged civilian conspirators.

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Some serving military officers are undergoing trial before the military’s General Court Martial over the alleged failed coup.

The six men charged before the Federal High Court in Abuja face 13 counts of treason, terrorism, failure to disclose information, and money laundering over the alleged failed coup.

Since the trial began, the prosecution has called four witnesses. The fourth, an army officer identified by the codename AAA for security reasons, has yet to be discharged. The prosecution witness brought video recordings of the defendants’ interrogations to court as exhibits.

At previous hearings on 5 May, the court played some of the video recordings during proceedings.

At Monday’s proceedings the last video recording was played before arguments ensued over the admissibility of the clips alongside the hand-written extra-judicial statements attributed to the defendants.

‘l warned the coup would fail’

Mr Sani’s account, if confirmed to be true, provides an insight into the extent of the resolve of the organisers of the coup to see plan through.

He told investigators that after conducting the initial prayers, he informed them that the operation would fail and that two persons would eventually betray those involved.

He said a message was later relayed back to him through Sanda “requesting further prayers so that the two individuals would not betray the group.”

The defendant further stated that money was subsequently sent to him for “prayers and charity”, while names of individuals allegedly involved in the plot were also forwarded to him for inclusion in the prayers.

He said shortly after the prayers commenced, Sanda informed him that Colonel Ma’aji had not been seen for four days, adding that he later learnt through media reports that arrests had been made over an alleged coup plot.

However, Mr Sani maintained in the video that the funds transferred to him were not payments for supporting a coup but were meant for prayers.

He also told investigators that he never reported the alleged plot because he did not know who to report to.

The defendant narrated that he was eventually arrested after visiting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over restrictions placed on his bank account.

According to him, he had gone to withdraw from the money transferred to him when he discovered that “the account had been flagged.”

He said after contacting an EFCC deputy director, he was invited to the commission’s office where he explained that the money was meant for prayers.

Mr Sani insisted in the recording that he did not make any statement relating to a coup while in EFCC custody.

Objection

After the playback, the prosecution lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, who is the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation (DPPF), sought to tender the extra-judicial statements allegedly made by the first to fifth defendants before a Special Investigation Panel and military police authorities, as well as the sixth defendant’s statement made before military police investigators.

But defence lawyers for the six defendants objected to the admissibility of written statements and video recordings, alleging inconsistencies, lack of voluntariness, absence of legal representation.

Muhammed Ndayako, a SAN, appeared for the first defendant, Paul Erokoro, a SAN, for the second defendant, A.H. Shehu for the third defendant, and C.D. Okafor for the fourth defendant.

M. A. Ibrahim and Mr Ojo, also a SAN, appeared for the fifth defendant, while Sanusi Musa, another SAN, represented the sixth defendant.

They claimed their clients were coerced during interrogation. Following their objections, the judge ordered a joint trial-within-trial.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the trial judge on Monday ordered a joint trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of statements the prosecution tendered in the alleged coup plot trial.

Judge Joyce Abdulmalik made the order after the prosecution sought to tender extra-judicial statements attributed to the defendants and accompanying video recordings as evidence.