…Admits receiving money for ‘prayers’
A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, May 11, 2026, viewed a recorded video in which Sheikh Sani Abdulkadir, the sixth defendant in the ongoing trial of persons accused of conspiring to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu, admitted to receiving money for prayers.
In the video, Sheikh Abdulkadir, however claimed that he warned the alleged plotters that their plan was doomed and that they would be sabotaged from within.
The video recording was played during the continuation of trial proceedings, with the fourth prosecution witness (PW4) still in the witness box.
In the recording, Abdulkadir, an Islamic cleric, said he had known the alleged ringleader, Colonel Ma’aji, for less than a year and was approached through an intermediary identified as Sanda to offer spiritual support for the plot.
Abdulkadir told investigators that Sanda informed him that his “Oga” intended to stage a coup and needed prayers regarding its likely success, saying that after conducting the prayers, he advised them that the operation would fail and that two persons would eventually expose those involved.
According to Abdulkadir, a subsequent request was relayed back to him, asking for further prayers to prevent those two individuals from speaking out.
He said that money was later transferred to him for prayers and charity, and the names of alleged participants were forwarded for inclusion.
Abdulkadir also said that he first learnt of the arrests through media reports, after Sanda had informed him that Colonel Ma’aji had been unreachable for four days.
The Islamic cleric maintained throughout the recording that the funds he received were strictly for prayers and not in support of any coup attempt.
Abdulkadir acknowledged understanding that a coup meant a military overthrow of government, but said he did not report the plot because he did not know who to report to.
The cleric said his arrest came after he visited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to resolve restrictions placed on his bank account.
He said that upon contacting an EFCC deputy director, he was invited to the commission’s office to explain the source of the funds.
Abdulkadir, however denied making any coup-related statement while in EFCC custody and stated that he was neither assaulted nor tortured, adding that all his statements were made voluntarily.
Following the playback, the prosecution sought to tender extra-judicial statements made by all six defendants before a Special Investigation Panel and military police authorities.
However, lawyers to all six defendants objected, arguing that the statements were either involuntarily obtained or made in violation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
Their objections included failure to inform defendants of their right to legal representation; alleged discrepancies between video recordings and corresponding written statements; allegations of coercion, inducement and torture; and claims that the footage did not adequately establish the physical condition of defendants during recording.
Counsel to the fifth defendant particularly argued that, given the number of the accused persons, the court should conduct separate trial-within-trial proceedings for each disputed statement rather than a combined exercise.
In his response, the prosecution urged the court to dismiss the objections, stressing that the law does not mandate separate proceedings for each defendant and that the trial judge holds the discretion over how evidence is received.
In her ruling, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik adopted a single joint trial-within-trial to determine the voluntariness and admissibility of all the disputed statements.
The case was adjourned to Tuesday, May 12, 2026.
