Nigeria: a colonel claims to have prepared a coup in 2025 out of “patriotism”

Six retired military personnel and civilians are being prosecuted in this case. In addition, 36 active military personnel at the time of the events were tried by a military court in May 2026, but this court has not yet rendered its findings.

Interviewed between October and November 2025, Colonel Ma’aji, who is 50 years old, explained that the plot began to take shape in 2023, at the end of Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency. He mentioned that corruption and nepotism had become, in his view, “an everyday occurrence.”

The officer also highlighted the deterioration of the security situation, marked by the regular deaths of military personnel and civilians. He claimed he had hoped for a reaction from senior officers, only to conclude that the military hierarchy had not acted.

An Organized Project Beginning in 2023

According to statements reported by Premium Times, Mohammed Ma’aji allegedly sought to identify other military personnel who shared his views and to gather funds to support the project. The former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, who is now reportedly in hiding, allegedly provided him with $294,000.

Meetings aimed at developing a plan reportedly began in late 2024. According to the colonel, the reforms initiated by President Bola Tinubu contributed to increasing the anger of those involved.

The prosecution accuses the 36 military personnel of conspiring “among themselves to wage war against the state in order to intimidate the President of the Federal Republic.” This charge constitutes the state’s accusation and has not yet been established by a definitive judicial ruling.

Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji pleads not guilty, as do the other accused individuals. He told investigators that the officers involved were driven by love for Nigeria and the desire to see a more prosperous country emerge. The judicial process is ongoing, while the military court’s findings are still awaited.