In a dramatic turn during the treason trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja, a prominent Islamic scholar, Sheikh Abdulkadir Sani, has admitted to receiving funds for prayers from individuals allegedly plotting to unseat President Bola Tinubu’s government. However, he insisted he never endorsed the scheme and even foretold its collapse.
The Kaduna-based cleric, testifying on Monday, revealed that an intermediary named Sanda approached him to provide spiritual backing for the operation. After performing the requested prayers, Sheikh Sani claimed he immediately warned the group that the endeavor was doomed to fail due to an expected betrayal from within.
“I told them the plan would not succeed because some of them would expose the plot,” the cleric stated in a video-recorded confession played in court. He emphasized that the money he received was strictly for prayers and charitable acts, not to finance any coup.
The court also heard that the cleric had submitted to the authorities a list of names he was asked to include in his prayers, further implicating the alleged plotters. The trial continues as the prosecution seeks to establish the extent of the defendants’ involvement.