Islamic Cleric Tells Court: “I Warned Them the Coup Would Fail”

By Emmanuel Kwada

Dramatic scenes unfolded at a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday as prosecutors played a video recording of the sixth defendant, Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Abdulkadir, in which he confessed to warning alleged coup plotters that their plan would fail and that betrayals were imminent.

The video was played during the ongoing trial of six men accused of conspiring to overthrow the Nigerian government. With the fourth prosecution witness (PW4) still in the witness box, the court watched intently as Abdulkadir detailed his limited involvement in the alleged plot.

In the recording, the cleric said he knew the purported ringleader, Colonel Maaji, for less than a year. He was contacted by a man identified as Sanda, who sought spiritual prayers and divination for his “oga’s” planned military takeover.

Abdulkadir told investigators he performed the prayers and warned that the coup would fail, with two persons eventually betraying the group.

He further narrated how a follow-up request came for additional prayers to prevent the betrayal. Money was transferred to him for prayers and charity, while names of alleged plotters were sent for spiritual inclusion.

Shortly after, Sanda reportedly informed him that Colonel Maaji had disappeared for four days. Abdulkadir said he only learned of the arrests through media reports.

The cleric insisted the funds were purely for religious purposes and not support for any coup. He admitted understanding that a coup meant the forcible overthrow of government but claimed he did not report it because he “did not know who to report to.” He was arrested after visiting the EFCC over a flagged bank account linked to the transfers.

Abdulkadir maintained he was neither assaulted nor tortured and that his statements were voluntary.

After the video playback, the prosecution moved to tender the extra-judicial statements of all six defendants including those made before the Special Investigation Panel, military police, and EFCC  along with accompanying video recordings.

Defence counsel for all six defendants rose separately to oppose the admissibility. They argued the statements were not voluntarily obtained and violated provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).

Counsel to the first defendant pointed out inconsistencies between the written statement and the video evidence on the question of voluntariness; The second defendant’s lawyer argued his client was not informed of his right to legal representation and was denied access to counsel. He added that the video played in court was not the actual recording of the 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.