Col. Mohammed Ma’aji has shed more light on how an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration was conceived, funded and revived before security agencies disrupted it in September 2025.
According to PREMIUM TIMES, court documents also provided more than 7,400 pages of bank statements, hotel receipts, electronic communications, interrogation records and other materials assembled by military investigators.
At the centre of the alleged conspiracy is the Nigerian Army Col. Ma’aji, who investigators identified as one of the principal figures behind the plot.
Ma’aji and several serving military officers are currently facing proceedings before a General Court Martial, while six retired military personnel and civilians are being prosecuted separately at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
All the defendants have denied wrongdoing.
In an extrajudicial statement attributed to him, Ma’aji told investigators that discussions about military intervention began in 2023, towards the end of the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He cited worsening insecurity, corruption and economic hardship as among the grievances discussed by those allegedly involved.
“Things particularly got out of control towards the end of Buhari’s administration when corruption and nepotism became the order of the day,” he stated.
According to the statement, Ma’aji believed senior military authorities should have responded more forcefully to the deteriorating security situation.
He said the group subsequently began identifying officers who shared similar concerns.
“Most of the officers involved share the same sense of patriotism, love of country and genuine desire for positive change,” he wrote.
Ma’aji said the alleged project was initially shelved because of inadequate funding, logistics and manpower.
He claimed that much of the early financing came from his personal resources.
“Most of the money spent were my personal resources generated through sales of my personal property coupled with sacrifice and contributions from some members,” he said.
He told investigators that one Army Major contributed ₦1 million, while another officer allegedly provided dollars on several occasions.
Ma’aji also claimed he sold three houses in Kaduna State and a student hostel at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to finance activities connected to the group.
According to the documents, the alleged movement was revived after Ma’aji failed for a second time to secure promotion to the rank of Brig-General in 2024.
“When I missed my second attempt at promotion to Brig-Gen. in 2024, some of the boys started disturbing and calling on me that we needed to revive the movement again,” he stated.
He said Lieut-Col Shamsuddeen Bappah was particularly active in pushing for the revival.
Ma’aji claimed Bappah travelled from Ibadan to Abuja to persuade him to continue with the plan and allegedly offered to sell a plot of land in Bauchi to raise funds.
The property was, however, reportedly not sold.
The documents indicate that meetings involving the alleged conspirators were subsequently held at different locations in Abuja.
Ma’aji identified Brookville Hotel and Greenland Hotel in Lokogoma among the venues allegedly used.
He said the first of the renewed meetings took place in late 2024 or early 2025, with largely the same set of officers attending subsequent gatherings.
Some new members were also allegedly brought into the group.
Ma’aji maintained that his failed promotion was not the principal reason for the alleged movement.
He instead cited dissatisfaction with fuel subsidy removal, exchange-rate reforms, taxation, electricity tariffs, corruption and insecurity.
“The issue of fuel subsidy removal, floating of Naira, dubious taxes, multiple taxation, and electricity tariff hike were all of major concerns,” he said.
He also referred to the handling of protests such as #EndSARS and #EndBadGovernance, claiming that many young Nigerians had become frustrated over unemployment and economic hardship.
The allegations contained in his statement remain subject to judicial scrutiny.
Ma’aji was arrested on Sept 29, 2025, shortly before the Federal Government cancelled the Oct. 1 Independence Day parade.
He was subsequently interrogated between October 18, 2025, and February 19, 2026, according to records cited in the investigation.
The Defence Headquarters initially described the detention of officers as part of a routine internal process aimed at maintaining discipline and professionalism.
It later acknowledged the existence of an alleged plot and said indicted officers would face military judicial proceedings.
By February, about 40 serving and retired military personnel, police officers and civilians had reportedly been arrested or questioned in connection with the case.
In April, the Federal Government filed 13 counts against six defendants at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
They include Rtd. Maj-Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, Rtd. Navy Capt. Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Presidential Villa electrician Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni and Islamic cleric Abdulkadir Sani.
The defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Several serving officers, including Ma’aji, are separately facing court-martial proceedings.
The admissibility of some statements gathered during the investigation has become a major issue in the trials.
Several defendants alleged that their extrajudicial statements were not made voluntarily and asked the court to reject them.
The prosecution disputed the claims and maintained that proper procedures were followed.
The court consequently ordered a trial-within-trial to determine whether the contested statements were obtained voluntarily before deciding whether they could be admitted as evidence.
Former Bayelsa State governor Timipre Sylva has also denied allegations that he financed the alleged plot.
Sylva, who served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under Buhari, described himself through his spokesperson as a committed democrat with no involvement in planning or logistics connected to any coup.
At the time of the denial, his spokesperson said Sylva and his wife were in the United Kingdom for a medical check-up and were subsequently expected to travel to Malaysia.
Five persons associated with him are facing separate charges over allegations that they concealed his whereabouts, while nine properties linked to him are under an interim forfeiture order.
Credit: Premium Times