By TAIYE AGBAJE

Zekeri Umoru, one of the suspected coup plotters, on Wednesday said discussions were held on switching off electricity supply to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to aid the alleged coup.

Umoru, a Julius Berger Nigeria Plc employee in the Maintenance Department at the Presidential Villa, spoke in a video evidence played before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

He said he warned that such an action would immediately trigger investigations and the detention of workers on duty if such action was carried out.

The 4th defendant stated this, in the video, while being questioned by some members of the Special Investigative Panel (SIP) that first investigated the case.

He alleged that Col. Mohammed Ma’aji, the alleged coup mastermind, offered him money, through Insp Ahmed Ibrahim, the 3rd defendant, to recruit between 18 and 19 persons working inside the Villa.

Umoru said those to recruit include soldiers, officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Julius Berger staff.

He also told the investigators that Ma’aji allegedly said he wanted access into the Presidential Villa and could achieve it “with force,” even if those recruited from inside decline to cooperate.

He claimed that Insp Ibrahim later demanded N100 million from Ma’aji to facilitate the operation through an ambulance route into the Villa, but that Ma’aji refused on the grounds that the amount was excessive.

He said Ma’aji insisted that he could still gain access into the Presidential Villa by force, though “there would be bloodshed.”

Umoru said at one point, he became uncomfortable with the alleged plan and repeatedly attempted to return the money given to him.

He said he felt that accessing the Presidential Villa “was not a child’s play.”

He denied ever having access to the Villa’s solar power plant, despite allegations that he planned to sabotage electricity supply within the complex.

On why he failed to immediately report the alleged discussions to authorities, Umaru claimed he was discouraged by Ibrahim, who allegedly asked him to delete messages and avoid contacting Ma’aji due to an ongoing audit in their office.

Justice Abdulmalik adjourned thee matter untill May 21 for the continuation of the trial-within-trial being conducted to ascertain the voluntariness or otherwise of the statements made by the six defendants.

The Federal Government, through the Office of the Attorney-General of Federation (AGF), had arraigned the defendants on 13-count charge before Justice Abdulmalik

The charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026, was filed on April 20 by the Director, Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN.

Those named in the charge are retired Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (rtd), Cap. (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (rtd), Insp Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukr Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani as 1st to 6th defendants respectively.

The former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, who is alleged to be part of the act, is listed as being at large.

The defendants were accused of offences ranging from treason and terrorism to failure to disclose security intelligence and money laundering linked to terrorism financing.(NAN)

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