ABUJA, April 21, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Nigerian prosecutors on Tuesday charged six people over a coup plot foiled by authorities last year, according to documents filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The government had initially denied the existence of the alleged coup, before announcing in January that the military would try several officers for planning a putsch.

If successful, it would have brought an end to a quarter-century of democracy in Africa's most populous country.

The six charged in federal court Tuesday, including a retired major general, were accused of conspiring "with one another to levy war against the State to overawe the President of the Federal Republic", according to prosecutors.

It was unclear whether the charges filed in the Federal High Court would run alongside or in addition to the military prosecutions, which have yet to commence.

The charges named retired major general Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired captain Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni and Abdulkadir Sani.

The six were also accused of knowing that Colonel Mohammed Alhassan Ma'aji "and others intended to commit treason" and did not alert authorities.

Ma'aji has been named in previous Nigerian press reports as the "mastermind" of the coup.

The six were also accused of conspiring "with one another to commit an act of terrorism" and of "indirectly" but "knowingly" rendering "support" to Ma'aji "and others to commit an act of terrorism".

Also named in the documents as having allegedly acted alongside the accused was "Timpre Sylva (still at large)" -- which appeared to be a misspelling of former oil minister Timipre Sylva, who has previously denied alleged connections to the coup plot.

- Government denials -

Nigeria has seen several military takeovers in its history and spent much of the 20th century under junta rule after its independence from Britain in 1960.

The west African nation transitioned to civilian rule in 1999 and has had a democratic government since.

In October 2025, the military said 16 officers had been arrested over "issues of indiscipline".

Despite official denials, sources across the Nigerian government and military had told AFP they were in fact arrested over a coup plot.

In January, in a reversal, the military announced it would be trying "a number of the officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government".

Shortly after denying the alleged coup plot, Tinubu reshuffled the country's top military brass.

A senior administration official told AFP at the time: "Normally when such a thing happens, it means there is a gap in intelligence. No leader would accept that."

General Christopher Musa was dropped as chief of defence staff in the shuffle, though he has since come back as defence minister.