Akahi News learnt that a retired Nigerian Army Major General, Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, has vehemently denied any involvement in an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration, insisting that he only became ensnared in the dragnet because of routine communication with a former military colleague.
The retired senior officer made the declaration during a tense interrogation session before a multi-agency investigative panel. Akahi News gathered that investigators had placed his name on a financial distribution list allegedly linked to coup financing — including a reported ₦2 million transfer that Gana admits receiving but says had nothing to do with any illegal adventure.
It was alleged that the retired general forwarded WhatsApp messages without even reading them. But can a man of his rank, with 35 years of military discipline, truly forward coup-adjacent materials and claim ignorance? That is the question hanging over the interrogation room like a wet blanket.
What The Army Told The Court: “A Credible Plot” Uncovered
Last Wednesday, the Nigerian Army made a dramatic appearance before the Federal High Court in Abuja. A masked operative of the Nigerian Army Corps of Military Police, identified only as “AAA,” told the court that the military had uncovered what it described as a credible plot to overthrow the Tinubu administration.
The witness appeared as the fourth prosecution witness in the trial of six defendants facing a 13-count charge bordering on treason, terrorism, and money laundering. Those standing trial include Gana himself, a retired Naval Captain named Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, a serving police inspector, Ahmed Ibrahim, and three civilians — Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.
Akahi News had earlier reported that former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, was also named in the charge sheet. Prosecutors say he is currently at large. Thirty-six military officers, including a certain Col. Ma’aji, are also facing trial by court-martial at the Scorpion Mess in Asokoro, Abuja, under heavy security.
But Gana insists he is a farmer, not a revolutionary. “I have never been indicted or charged with any offence. I have never been placed under arrest,” he told investigators. “After 35 years of service, I retired peacefully.”
The ₦2 Million Question: Family Help Or Coup Funding?
The retired general’s relationship with Col. Ma’aji dates back to their time at the Nigerian Defence Academy. Years later, that friendship has landed him in the eye of a political storm. Gana admitted receiving financial assistance from Ma’aji, including during personal and family challenges.
“I told him I was broke, and he transferred some money. He sent me ₦2 million,” Gana explained. “That is not the first time he sent me money, even when my wife was on admission just before I lost my wife, he assisted me with some money to pay the bills.”
It is a heartbreaking detail — a man grieving his late wife, accepting help from a friend, only to have that help transformed into evidence of treason. But when will the line between compassion and conspiracy be clearly drawn? The Nigerian public deserves an answer.
Investigators also pressed the retired general on alleged WhatsApp communications with Ma’aji that reportedly contained politically sensitive and coup-related materials. Gana’s defence? “Once he forwards messages to me, sometimes I don’t even read, I forward them as received. Most of the time, I don’t even read these messages.”
He maintained that the materials were already circulating online and that he did not originate them. “Whatever I receive, I just forward it as it is. I did not originate those things.” Investigators also claimed he forwarded historical military speeches, including an alleged coup speech attributed to Brigadier General Joshua Dogonyaro after the 1985 military takeover of the Muhammadu Buhari regime.
“I Don’t Support Military Rule”: Former General Fights Back
Gana repeatedly denied any knowledge of coup planning. “I never knew he was planning a coup. I just sent it as any other message.” He added that his decades of military experience made him believe such plots could not progress undetected. “Since I joined the army in the 70s, any officer suspected of coup plotting is taken out immediately.”
The retired general also rejected suggestions that forwarding messages amounted to support for military rule or anti-government activities. “No. I don’t support military leadership. I believe that era has passed.”
Frustration crept into his voice as he asked investigators: “I didn’t originate it. Most of them were already circulating. Why are you so particular about mine, making me a scapegoat?” He also criticised what he described as institutional failures, saying earlier action could have prevented the matter from escalating. “I blame him. I also blame the institution because if proper actions had been taken earlier, it might not have escalated to this level.”
The interrogation ended with the retired general maintaining his innocence with a simple but firm declaration: “I never discussed such matters with him. Never.”
But for a nation that has suffered multiple military interventions — from Aguiyi-Ironsi to Babangida to Abacha — the mere whisper of a coup sends cold shivers down the spine. Is this a genuine plot caught in time, or is it a witch-hunt dressed in uniform? The courts will decide. But the court of public opinion is already deliberating.
Why This Matters To Every Nigerian Who Loves Democracy
Consider the ordinary Nigerian soldier serving in Maiduguri. He risks his life daily against Boko Haram. If his superiors start arresting retired generals for forwarding WhatsApp messages, what does that do to morale? Will he begin to question every message his own phone receives?
Or think of the civilian in Lagos who reads this story and wonders: if a retired Major General can be dragged before a panel for a ₦2 million transfer meant to pay hospital bills, then no one is safe. The chilling effect on free communication — even among friends — is real.
It is not a child’s play, this business of coup allegations. Nigeria’s democracy is 27 years old this month — still a teenager by global standards. Every false alarm, every overzealous investigation, every scapegoat created in the name of national security weakens the fragile trust between citizens and the state.
The military insists the plot was credible. The accused insist they are innocent. Somewhere in between lies the truth. And the Nigerian people — tired of bad governance but also terrified of a return to barracks — are watching with bated breath.
One thing is certain: if there was a coup plot, it must be exposed and punished. But if there was not, then those who manufactured the allegations must also face consequences. Justice, after all, is a two-way street.
📌 Fact Summary Box
Accused: Retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (served 1975–2010, last as Chief of Defence Logistics).
Allegation: Involvement in plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The ₦2 million: Gana admits receiving from Col. Ma’aji — says it was family help during wife’s illness and after her death.
WhatsApp defence: Claims he forwards messages without reading; materials were already circulating online.
Court-martial: 36 military officers, including Col. Ma’aji, facing trial at Defence Headquarters.
Civilian defendants: Six persons on trial for treason, terrorism, money laundering.
At large: Former Bayelsa Governor Timipre Sylva named in charge sheet.
Gana’s position: “I don’t support military leadership. That era has passed.”
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Akahi News will continue following this explosive trial and every twist in Nigeria’s security narrative. Stay with us. Stay alert. And remember: democracy is worth defending — but so is the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.