Abdulkadir Sani, one of the six defendants facing coup charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja, has explained how he offered spiritual consultancy for the leader of last year’s failed plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.
Mr Sani, a Zaria, Kaduna State-based Islamic cleric, said this in a video recording tendered by the prosecution and played during Monday’s proceedings in the coup trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The defendant said in the video, which captured moments of his interrogations by military investigators, that he knew the alleged coup ringleader, Mohammed Ma’aji, a serving army colonel, for less than a year. He said Mr Ma’aji approached him through a man identified as Sanda, requesting prayers concerning the alleged coup plot.
According to him, Sanda informed him that his “Oga” intended to stage a coup and needed spiritual prayers and divination regarding its success.
The defendant, who said he received money from Mr Ma’aji through their go-between, added that he gave a warning that the coup would fail due to betrayal from two persons involved in the plot. He said he was again contacted to pray against the possible betrayal from the two persons.
