Nigeria’s government filed 13 criminal charges against six former security officials accused of plotting the ‌violent overthrow of President Bola Tinubu’s government last year, court documents showed on Tuesday.

Prosecutors charged a retired army major-general and others with treason, terrorism and terrorism ⁠financing. A seventh suspect, a former state governor, remains at large.

Attorney-General and Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi filed the case on Monday at a federal court in Nigeria’s capital Abuja. The suspects are due to be arraigned this Wednesday.

Defence lawyers were not ‌immediately ⁠available for comment.

The case is the most serious treason prosecution since Tinubu took office in 2023, reflecting a push to tighten internal security ⁠at a time of economic strains, an Islamist insurgency in the north, and political frictions.

In October, ⁠Tinubu suddenly replaced the military’s leadership in a sweeping shake-up described by an aide ⁠as a move to bolster security as threats rose.

–Reuters–