Video recordings of investigators’ interviews with three of six defendants standing trial over an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu were played at a federal high court in Abuja on Monday.

In the recordings, two defendants, Erasmus Victor, a retired navy captain, and Ahmed Ibrahim, a police inspector, admitted they were aware of the alleged plot. Mohammed Gana, a retired major-general and the third defendant, denied any knowledge of the plan.

The video evidence was contained in a hard drive tendered by the prosecution.

Counsel to the defendants objected to the admissibility of the recordings, arguing that the statements were not made voluntarily.

They also opposed the playing of the videos in open court on the grounds that they had not been admitted in evidence.

However, Joyce Abdulmalik, the presiding judge, overruled the objections and directed that the recordings be played.

Abdulmalik said the objections had been noted, adding that the court would conduct a trial- within-trial to determine whether the statements were made voluntarily.

In the interview, Gana said he retired from the Nigerian Army in 2010 as chief of defence logistics and had since lived a quiet life.

Gana admitted knowing the alleged mastermind, M.A. Ma’aji, a colonel, but said he was unaware of any plan to overthrow the government.

“If I knew about any coup plan, I would have reported it,” he said.

Gana said his name came up during the investigation in relation to a N2 million transfer linked to him.

The retired army officer also admitted sharing, via WhatsApp, a coup speech delivered by Joshua Dongayaro during a previous military takeover, as well as messages containing anti-government rhetoric.

However, Gana said he merely forwarded the materials and did
not originate them.

He denied conducting surveillance at the Presidential Villa or participating in any funding arrangement for the alleged plot.

Victor, the second defendant, admitted knowing of discussions about overthrowing the government but said he advised against it. He said Ma’aji was angry over his delayed promotion.

“Out of anger, he said he wants to overthrow the system. I told him to forget about it and consider retirement,” he said.

Victor said he was approached to provide financial support and help secure accommodation for the alleged plotters, with a promise of an
appointment if the plan succeeded.

Victor said he declined to be involved but continued communicating with the principal suspect through a secure messaging platform, using coded language.

“My relationship with him clouded my thoughts. If not, I would have reported to the appropriate authorities,” he said.

He expressed regret for failing to report the alleged plot.

“I feel so bad that I find myself in this situation,” he said, appealing for clemency.

Ibrahim, a police inspector attached to the State House, said he was initially approached to assist in facilitating Ma’aji’s promotion.

He said their discussions later shifted to an alleged plan to overthrow the government.

Ibrahim admitted receiving between N1.4 million and N1.5 million and conducting reconnaissance around the Presidential Villa, including Aguda House.

He said he took photographs of parts of the villa and discussed possible access routes.

He also confirmed that coded terms such as “fertiliser” and “farming” were used to refer to funding and the alleged operation.

However, he said he did not take the plan seriously.

“I played along because I knew it would be impossible for them to access the State House,” he said.

According to the prosecution, investigators had informed the
defendants at the start of each session that the interviews were being recorded
in line with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).

They were also told of their right to remain silent and that the recordings were to ensure the statements were made voluntarily.

The case was adjourned until Tuesday at 11am for continuation of the hearing.

The federal government, through the office of the attorney-general of the federation, is prosecuting six suspects over an alleged
plot to topple Tinubu’s administration.

The other defendants in the charge marked
FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026 are Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani.

They were arraigned on 13 counts before the court on April
22.

Aprokorepublic

Tunde Ayeni, a businessman and former chairman of the defunct Skye Bank Plc, has been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja.

Ayeni was arraigned on Monday at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) high court on a 17-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of about N8 billion.

The charges were filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.

After the plea was taken, Ekele Iheanacho, counsel to the EFCC, asked the court for a date for commencement of trial.

Iheanacho urged the court to remand the defendant in custody pending the date of trial.

Responding, Ahmed Raji, counsel to Ayeni, told the court that the defence filed for bail application today and served the prosecution.

Raji urged the court to grant a short adjournment for the hearing of bail application.

The counsel said the charge sheet was served on the defense on April 23, 2026, during the public holiday.

The counsel appealed to the court to release the defendant to him and Olalekan Ojo, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and that he will be available in the next adjourned date.

Jude Onwuegbuzie, the trial judge, adjourned the hearing on
the bail application to May 13.

THE ARREST

Ayeni was arrested in Abuja on April
24 by the EFCC for investigations into the alleged diversion and misappropriation of funds estimated at N36.5 billion and $30 million, said to
have been obtained from Polaris Bank Plc through companies linked to him.

The loans – originally meant for financing marine security,
electricity distribution contract, estate development, were allegedly
channelled into the acquisition of telecom assets linked to NITEL/MTEL through a NATCOM account.

The commission is also investigating about 12 companies linked to Ayeni, which were allegedly used to obtain the loans from Polaris
Bank.

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Operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Lagos State Command, have busted a baby factory in Okuju, Ilado, Badagry area of Lagos.

The operatives stormed the facility in the early hours of Wednesday, April 29 and rescued 18 pregnant women and 10 children, and arrested the operators of the facility identified as Joy Okeke and Raphael Agwu.

The victims aged between 18 and 30 were recruited through a facebook platform where they are promised N500, 000 to N1.8m in exchange of their babies upon delivery.

Parading the victims and the suspects before newsmen, the Commandant, Lagos State, NSCDC, Adedotun Keshinro, said its operatives swooped on the big flat containing many rooms that house the victims following actionable intelligence that lasted three weeks.

“They are operating a baby factory where victims are made pregnant. When the babies are delivered, they are sold. The suspects entice the victims who are pregnant to come and negotiate with them that when they deliver the babies, the babies will be taken from them and they’ll be paid off.

When they deliver the babies, the babies will be taken from them to be sold to their customers, and the victims will be paid off.

There are 18 victims who are fully pregnant, but one of them had a miscarriage. So, 17 of them are currently carrying pregnancies. And there are other babies there who are grown, and they are also here on negotiation to be sold to interested buyers” Keshinro added

The NSCDC boss said the suspects would be handed over to the police for prosecution, while the victims would be handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.

Among items retrieved at the facility were a pumping machine, generator set, standing fans, gas cylinders, burner, cooking pots, phones, mats, toiletries, baby skincare products, tableware and assorted food items.

There was chaos at the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) on Monday as students staged a protest in Calabar over poor healthcare conditions, which they say contributed to the recent death of their colleagues.

Three students and a staff member of
the institution died following a road accident on May 1.

The crash occurred when a coaster bus conveying them collided with a truck along the Calabar–Itu highway in Odukpani LGA of the state.

Onen Ebri, the university’s public relations officer (PRO), who confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Saturday, said 24 students, including the staff member, were involved.

Most of the victims were said to be members of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) returning from an official assignment in Uyo, the Akwa
Ibom state capital.

A viral video of the protest circulating on Monday showed demonstrators dressed in black attire, singing solidarity songs.

The students were seen protesting at a roundabout in Calabar, displaying placards and banners with various inscriptions.

They later marched to the General Hospital in Calabar, alleging that some of the accident victims were rejected by the facility on the night of the incident.

According to Calabar Rants, a local blog on X that relays happenings in the state, the protesters proceeded towards the governor’s office, where security operatives reportedly dispersed them with teargas.

Another viral clip showed officers from the police crime patrol response unit firing teargas from a patrol van to disperse the protesters, who fled as smoke filled the air.

In the footage, four police patrol vans were stationed at a T-junction reportedly within the vicinity of the governor’s office, while students carried two
of their colleagues who appeared to have been affected by the smoke.

As of the time of filing this report, the state police command was yet to issue an official statement on the protest.

Aprokorepublic

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction backed by Seyi Makinde, Oyo governor, has released its timetable and schedule of activities
for the 2027 elections.

In a statement issued on Monday, Ini Ememobong, the PDP spokesperson, said the timetable was approved by the national executive committee (NEC) following the appointment of a 13-member interim national working committee (NWC) to oversee the party’s affairs.

He said the party pegged the presidential forms at N100 million, comprising N10 million for expression of interest and N90 million for nomination.

For the governorship ticket, the party fixed the expression of interest form at N5 million and the nomination form at N35 million.

Senate aspirants are to pay N3 million for the expression of interest form and N7 million for the nomination form, while those seeking seats in the house of representatives will pay N2 million and N5 million, respectively.

The nomination form for the state houses of assembly costs N1.5 million, while the expression of interest form is pegged at N500,000.

Ememobong said women are exempted from paying for the nomination form, while youths and persons with disabilities are to pay 50 percent of the nomination form for the offices of their choice.

He said the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms will commence from May 5 to May 13, while the deadline for submission of completed forms is May 14.

Ememobong said the screening of aspirants will take place from May 15 to May 18, with screening appeals scheduled for May 21.

The party spokesperson said the publication of cleared aspirants is billed for May 22, while ward primaries for all offices will hold on May 27, followed by appeals on the primaries on May 28.

Ememobong said the NEC meeting to approve all nominated candidates is slated for May 29, while a special convention for candidates’
ratification will be held on May 30.

Last month, a faction of the PDP backed by Nyesom Wike,
minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), released its timetable and
schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.

The Wike group pegged the presidential form at N51 million, including N1 million for expression of interest and N50 million for nomination.

Aprokorepublic

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has boldly declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will produce the next President of Nigeria in the 2027 general election.

Makinde made the declaration on Monday while addressing members and stakeholders at the 103rd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the PDP faction he backs, held in Abuja.

“We should write it down. This gathering will produce House of Assembly members, will produce House of Representatives members, will produce Senators, will produce Governors, and will produce the next President,” he said.

The statement comes amid ongoing leadership crisis and factionalisation within the PDP, which has split the main opposition party into rival camps largely aligned with Makinde on one side and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on the other.

Despite court judgments and public disagreements, Makinde insisted that the PDP faction under his group’s leadership is united and ready to reclaim power in 2027.

The Oyo governor’s confidence is expressed even as the party continues to grapple with internal wrangling that has weakened its structure since losing power at the national level in 2015.

Political observers note that the PDP’s ability to resolve its leadership disputes and present a united front will be critical if it hopes to mount a serious challenge against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next presidential election.

Aprokorepublic

Idiat Adebule, senator representing Lagos west, has been endorsed as the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for
the senatorial district ahead of the 2027 elections.

Adebule secured the backing of party leaders in Lagos west, including members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), council chairmen,
and constituency leaders.

In reaction, Adebule described the endorsement as a reflection of unity and trust within the party.

“I am deeply honoured and sincerely grateful to the leaders of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos West—our respected GAC members, Council Chairmen, and dedicated constituency leaders—for
the confidence reposed in me through this consensus endorsement as the APC
candidate to represent Lagos West Senatorial District at the 2027 General
Elections,” she wrote on Facebook.

“This strong show of unity and trust is both humbling and inspiring.”

Adebule said the endorsement strengthens her commitment to serve the people.

“It further strengthens my resolve to continue serving with dedication, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the progress and
wellbeing of our people,” she said.

“Together, we will keep building, keep progressing, and keep delivering for Lagos West. The journey continues.”

The 55-year-old politician previously served as the deputy governor of Lagos state from 2015 to 2019.

Aprokorepublic

Enyinnaya Abaribe, senator representing Abia south, has resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and joined the Labour Party
(LP).

In a message announcing his defection sent to his associates on Monday, Abaribe said he took the decision following the uncertainties surrounding the ADC.

“Given the uncertainties concerning the ADC party with regard to the multiple lawsuits and court judgements, I have today resigned from the ADC and joined the Labour Party effectively immediately,” the message
reads.

“This has nothing to do with the leadership and members whom
I have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy close and solid relationships with.

“It is a tough call, but leadership means making tough calls in uncertain times. While thanking everyone for your support and commitment to making Nigeria a better place.”

Uche Awom, his media aide, confirmed the development to TheCable.

“Yes, it is true; Senator Abaribe has moved to the Labour Party,” Awom said.

Abaribe was one of the nine senators who defected to the ADC on March 12 on the floor of the senate.

The 71-year-old senator was elected on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in 2023.

Abaribe, a former deputy governor of Abia state, is seeking a fifth term in the senate, He was first elected in 2007.

Aprokorepublic

The Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) has confirmed the abduction of two of its staff members in its Ogun region on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.

The company expressed deep concern over the whereabouts of the abducted employees and the condition of their families during the period of uncertainty.

In a statement, IBEDC management said it is working closely with relevant security agencies to secure the safe return of the affected staff.

“We are also in active engagement with their families, providing the necessary support.

“Given the sensitive nature of this incident and ongoing efforts to resolve it, we are unable to provide further details at this time.

“We kindly request understanding and restraint as we prioritize the safety and well-being of those involved.”

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