RismadarVoice Reporters, May 6, 2026
A maintenance worker attached to Nigeria’s Presidential Villa, Zekari Umoru, on Tuesday told a Federal High Court in Abuja that he was unwittingly drawn into an alleged coup plot against Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisting he believed he was engaging in legitimate electrical work.
Testifying before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, Umoru the fourth defendant in the case said he was introduced in May 2025 to a key suspect identified as “Col. Mohammed Ma’aji” by co-accused Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim.
According to him, Ma’aji presented himself as a businessman seeking technical services, with no indication of any subversive agenda.
Video evidence played in court showed Umoru admitting to receiving several cash payments from the suspect, including ₦8.8 million delivered in a “Ghana-Must-Go” bag, which he said he deposited into his account at Zenith Bank. However, he maintained that the transactions appeared work-related at the time.
“I only became suspicious when he began talking about plans to ‘sanitise the government,’” Umoru said in the recorded statement.
The court also heard that Umoru once facilitated access for another associate, identified simply as Usman, into the Presidential Villa. During that visit, Usman allegedly took photographs inside Umoru’s office without authorisation an act now being scrutinised by prosecutors.
Umoru denied any knowledge of a coup attempt, telling the court he had no involvement in or awareness of any plan to overthrow the government. He expressed remorse over his actions, apologising to his employers and affirming his loyalty to the administration.
“I had no intention to betray the government. I remain supportive of President Tinubu,” he said.
The trial continues as the prosecution seeks to establish the extent of each defendant’s involvement in what authorities describe as a serious threat to national security.
