Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji of the Nigerian Army has explained his alleged role in a plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.Ma’aji, who is facing trial before a General Court Martial alongside other serving officers, cited insecurity, corruption, economic hardship and poor welfare of troops as the driving factors.Six retired military officers and civilians are also being prosecuted separately at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
All the accused have denied the charges.In a statement said to have been made during interrogation, Ma’aji stated that talks about military intervention began in 2023, towards the end of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, due to concerns over worsening security, bad governance and economic hardship.
He said the group initially stalled because of lack of funds, personnel and logistics. To fund activities, he claimed to have sold three houses in Kaduna and a student hostel at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, while some members also contributed money.The alleged plot was revived in 2024 after Ma’aji failed to get promoted to Brigadier-General for the second time.
He said some officers, including Lt. Col. Shamsuddeen Bappah who allegedly travelled from Ibadan to Abuja to meet him, encouraged him to restart the plan. Bappah was also said to have considered selling a plot of land in Bauchi to raise funds.Following the revival, meetings were reportedly held at Brookville Hotel and Greenland Hotel in Lokogoma, Abuja, with both old and new participants.
Ma’aji, however, denied that his failed promotion was the main reason. He listed fuel subsidy removal, naira redesign, taxation, electricity tariff hikes, corruption and insecurity as grievances. He also referenced the #EndSARS and #EndBadGovernance protests as signs of public frustration over unemployment and poor living conditions.He further raised concerns about soldiers’ welfare, including poor salaries, inadequate care for wounded personnel, housing and healthcare.
According to documents, the group also attempted to recruit more officers, soldiers and civilians, and allegedly discussed mobilizing members of the Civilian JTF from the North-East to Abuja. Ma’aji said there was no fixed date for the alleged coup, as they were still sourcing resources and recruits.
The plan, he said, involved night operations and arresting some senior officers, but it was foiled before execution.Ma’aji was arrested on September 29, 2025, days before the FG cancelled the October 1 Independence Day parade.
He was interrogated between October 18, 2025 and February 19, 2026.The Defence Headquarters initially described the detentions as internal disciplinary action, but later confirmed a plot had been uncovered. By February, about 40 serving and retired military personnel, police officers and civilians had been questioned.In April, the Federal Government filed 13 charges against six persons at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
They include retired Maj.-Gen. Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Navy Capt. Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Villa electrician Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni and Islamic cleric Abdulkadir Sani. They pleaded not guilty.Other serving officers, including Ma’aji, are facing separate court-martial trials.
The admissibility of statements made during interrogation is also being contested, with the court ordering a trial-within-trial to determine if they were made voluntarily.
Former Bayelsa Governor, Timipre Sylva, has also denied allegations of financing the plot. Five people linked to him face charges for allegedly concealing his whereabouts, while nine properties linked to him are under interim forfeiture.Authorities stressed that all allegations remain subject to judicial process and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
