“I Warned Them the Coup Would Fail” — Islamic Cleric’s Video Confession Played in Coup Trial

By Emmanuel Kwada 

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday watched a video recording in which the sixth defendant in Nigeria’s high-profile alleged coup plot trial confessed to warning the plotters that their plan would fail and that they would be betrayed.

Sheikh Sani Abdulkadir, who describes himself as an Islamic cleric, appeared in the video played during the continuation of the trial, with the fourth prosecution witness (PW4) still testifying.

In the recording, Abdulkadir told investigators he had known the alleged ringleader, Colonel Maaji, for less than a year.

Sheikh Sani Abdulkadir

According to the cleric, he was approached by a man identified as Sanda, who said his “oga” planned to stage a coup and needed spiritual prayers and divination to determine its chances of success.

Abdulkadir stated that after performing the prayers, he informed the plotters the operation would fail and that two individuals would betray the group. A subsequent message was relayed back through Sanda requesting additional prayers to prevent the betrayal.

He told investigators that money was later transferred to him for prayers and charity, while names of those allegedly involved were sent for inclusion in the supplications.

Shortly afterward, Sanda informed him that Colonel Maaji had not been seen for four days. Abdulkadir said he later learned of arrests through media reports.

In the video, the cleric insisted the funds he received were strictly for spiritual purposes and not payment for supporting any coup.

He admitted knowing that a coup meant the military overthrow of government but said he did not report the matter because he did not know whom to approach.

Abdulkadir was arrested after visiting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over restrictions on his bank account. He had gone to withdraw the transferred money when he discovered the account had been flagged. After explaining the situation to an EFCC deputy director, he was invited to the commission’s office.

The defendant maintained that he made no statements about a coup while in EFCC custody and that no one assaulted or tortured him. He emphasized that any statements he gave were voluntary.

Money was later transferred to him for prayers and charity.

Following the playback of the video, the prosecution sought to tender the extra-judicial statements of the first to fifth defendants, made before a Special Investigation Panel and military police, as well as the sixth defendant’s statement to military police investigators.

Counsel to all six defendants strongly objected to the admissibility of the statements and accompanying video recordings.

Alleged Coup Plotters To Appear In Court.

The lawyers argued that the statements were either not made voluntarily or were obtained in violation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).

Counsel for the first defendant noted that the written statement did not align with the video evidence on the issue of voluntariness.

The second defendant’s lawyer added that his client was not informed of his right to legal representation nor given access to counsel before the statement was taken, and that the video shown in court did not depict the recording of the written statement being tendered.

The objections triggered legal arguments from both sides, with defence teams demanding a trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness of the statements.

Justice adjourned proceedings after listening to submissions, reserving ruling on the admissibility of the statements for a later date.

The trial is expected to resume in the coming weeks once the court rules on the admissibility of the contested statements. If admitted, the statements could significantly strengthen the prosecution’s case against the defendants. If rejected, prosecutors may have to rely more heavily on other evidence, including witness testimonies and documentary exhibits.

The court has indicated it will fast-track the matter while ensuring all parties receive a fair hearing. A verdict is not expected before several more months of proceedings.

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