Military authorities have finally confirmed plans to illegally oust President Bola Tinubu’s administration, with fresh details emerging about the elaborate coup plot that was foiled in September 2025, leading to the arrest of multiple military officers and civilians.

On January 26, 2026, the Defence Headquarters publicly acknowledged for the first time that officers had indeed plotted to illegally overthrow President Tinubu’s administration, announcing that those indicted would be arraigned before a military judicial panel.

According to the Defence Headquarters, the investigation was “comprehensive” and conducted in line with established procedures, examining “all circumstances surrounding the conduct of the affected personnel.”

The military disclosed that the findings identified “several officers with allegations of plotting to overthrow the government,” describing such conduct as “inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards required of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”

“Accordingly, those with cases to answer will be formally arraigned before an appropriate military judicial panel to face trial in accordance with the Armed Forces Act and other applicable service regulations,” the statement added.

THE MASTERMIND: COL. MOHAMMED MA’AJI

Mohammed Ma’aji, a colonel in the Nigerian Army with service number N/10668, has been identified by military investigators as the major leader and architect of the botched coup plot against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Apart from being the alleged architect of the coup, the infantry officer is believed by investigators to have bankrolled the process.

Born on March 1, 1976, the Nupe native from Edati Local Government of Niger State began his military training on August 18, 1995, and completed it on September 16, 2000, as a member of the 47 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

Mr Ma’aji built much of his operational experience in the Niger Delta, an oil-rich region that later became central to his professional and political networks. He participated in Operation Crocodile Smile II in 2017, a major Nigerian Army exercise designed to address militancy, oil theft and insecurity in the Niger Delta and parts of the South-west.

He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 2013 and to full colonel in 2017. At the time of his arrest, the 49-year-old officer was serving as the Commanding Officer of the 19 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Okitipupa, Ondo State.

Military sources who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said investigators believed that Mr Ma’aji played a key role as a strategist in the coup plot, coordinating planning and logistics.

Another source said Mr Ma’aji was strategic in his planning, citing his earlier efforts to be posted to the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

“There was a time he was seeking powerful connections to secure a posting to the ONSA,” the source said, believing that it may be “part of the plan.”

Financial trails have also placed him at the centre of the investigation, one source said.

“He was responsible for transferring funds to co-plotters,” the source said.

Our sources said those who have interacted with Mr Ma’aji since his arrest described him as unrepentant and emotionally detached, showing little visible remorse as investigations continue. One source said he was not cooperating with investigators.

BRIG. GEN. MUSA SADIQ: THE ACCESSORY

Musa Sadiq, a brigadier general with service number N/10321, was among the 16 military officers arrested and detained for the attempted coup.

Despite being described in some intelligence briefs as a suspected leader of the plot, officials familiar with the investigation insist that the core allegation against him centres on prior knowledge and failure to act, rather than direct involvement.

Military sources who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES in confidence described Mr Sadiq’s role as that of an “accessory” rather than an active participant.

Sources said that information available to investigators revealed that Mr Sadiq was “informed” of the coup plot by those directly involved in its planning.

While he is not accused of participating in the execution of the plot, security sources say he failed to report the information to the relevant authorities, choosing instead to keep it to himself.

“This, investigators argue, constitutes a serious breach of military conduct and forms the basis of the case against him,” one source said.

Born on January 3, 1974, Mr Sadiq was trained at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) as a cadet between August 14, 1992, and September 20, 1997, and is a member of Regular Course 44. An indigene of Nasarawa State, he belongs to the infantry corps.

Mr Sadiq rose steadily through the ranks of the Nigerian Army, attaining the rank of colonel in 2015 and becoming a brigadier general four years later.

Over the course of his career, he has held several strategic command positions, including Commander of the 3rd Brigade in Kano and Garrison Commander of the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army in Lagos.

This is not the first time the senior officer has come under scrutiny. In October 2024, he reportedly made headlines after being detained over allegations of gross misconduct, including the diversion of rice palliatives and the sale of military equipment such as generator sets and operational vehicles to scrap yards.

STAN K. AMANDI: THE PROPAGANDIST

Nollywood filmmaker and actor Stanley “Stan K. Amandi” Amandi is trending on social media following his arrest over an alleged role in the failed coup plot.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that security operatives arrested the actor alongside several military officers in September 2025.

Although his name surfaced publicly for the first time months after the arrest, investigators alleged that the group engaged Amandi as a propagandist.

Born in Enugu State, he is a filmmaker and producer who features in several Nollywood productions after beginning his acting career as a teenager.

He acts alongside industry veterans, including Ngozi Ezeonu, the late Zulu Adigwe, Patience Ozokwor and Nkem Owoh, among others.

Amandi also served as chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN).

As a filmmaker, Amandi directed titles such as “The Album”, “Nkwocha”, “Tiger King”, and “Tiger King 2.” He also featured in films including “Lionheart”, “Bachelors”, “Monica the Fighter”, and “Another Bondage”, among others.

Amandi’s last Instagram post was on September 19, 2025, shortly before his arrest.

AGN REACTS TO AMANDI’S ARREST

Reacting to the issue in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, AGN President Abubakar Yakubu said the guild was aware of the matter.

Mr Yakubu described the issue as one of national importance, adding that the guild was still digesting the reports and gathering more information on the allegations.

He said, “Just like others, we read the news that broke. So far, we are not taking any steps yet because the information we see from the public domain is still sketchy. We are meeting to see what the next step to take. I cannot categorically say we are taking any steps. For now, we have to digest the news and collect further information that we can gather.”

“So, it’s not something we just want to rush and do. You know, it’s a sensitive national issue. It is not in line with our mode of operation. Had it been something that happened on a movie set or during production, we would know it was within our line of business. However, this is a national issue, and we must tread carefully,” said Mr Yakubu.

TIMELINE: FROM 2023 TO 2025

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the coup plotters planned to violently disrupt the handover of power from former President Muhammadu Buhari to President Bola Tinubu.

The coup was initially scheduled for May 29, 2023, during the presidential inauguration. However, the plan was suspended due to insufficient funds and inadequate logistical arrangements, sources said.

The conspirators then reactivated their plans in 2025 after former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, who was accused of bankrolling the coup plotters, allegedly transferred almost N1 billion in multiple tranches to three separate bank accounts operated by a Bureau De Change operator.

HOW THE COUP PLOT WAS FOILED

A covert intelligence operation coordinated by the Army Headquarters and the State Security Service (SSS) helped thwart the deadly plot to overthrow President Tinubu’s government and assassinate key political figures.

Multiple senior administration insiders said the plot began to unravel in late September 2025 after an unnamed military officer with direct knowledge of the coup contacted the then Chief of Army Staff, Olufemi Oluyede. The officer reportedly disclosed the scheme, saying he feared being implicated as an accessory to treason if he failed to alert authorities.

Sources said around the same time, the SSS independently gathered intelligence indicating that some serving army officers were plotting to “destabilise the government and undermine Nigeria’s democracy.” An official familiar with the matter said the Director-General of the SSS, Oluwatosin Ajayi, personally briefed Mr Oluyede on the findings.

Faced with converging intelligence from multiple sources, the two security chiefs agreed to act swiftly. A wide-ranging but discreet joint operation was launched by the army and the SSS, with coordinated arrests planned across different parts of the country to neutralise the coup’s masterminds and other collaborators.

On September 30, 2025, as President Tinubu travelled to Imo State for an official visit, unaware of the plot to depose and possibly assassinate him, the joint operation went into effect. The sweep led to the arrest of the alleged principal architects of the coup, alongside other military and civilian suspects.

The Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI), Emmanuel Undiandeye, and the then Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, were subsequently briefed. Mr Undiandeye was then requested to detain the suspects in the underground holding facility of the Defence Intelligence Agency.

Following the initial arrests, President Tinubu was formally informed of the foiled plot. A visibly shaken president immediately ordered the cancellation of the October 1 National Independence Day parade. He also approved the constitution of a special investigative panel, which later led to additional arrests. The investigative panel was led by General Undiandeye.

One of the detained soldiers later escaped custody but was rearrested by SSS operatives in Bauchi, a military insider said.

THE TARGETS: ASSASSINATION AND DETENTION PLANS

Sources with direct knowledge of the investigation identified top officials allegedly marked for assassination. They include President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

“There are other people targeted,” one source said. “But those are the key targets.”

Further investigation revealed that the conspirators also targeted the service chiefs and the Commander of the Guards Brigade for assassination.

The plotters also planned to detain senior military officers, including the service chiefs. “They did not want to kill them,” one source added.

According to the sources, the conspirators intended to assassinate the political leaders simultaneously. “They were waiting for a day when all of them would be in the country,” one official said. “Wherever they were, they would be assassinated.”

The sources said the plotters relied on informants within the Presidential Villa and around the officials slated for elimination.

“They have people inside the Villa who monitor the movements of these officials,” one source said. “The plan was to kill them at the same time and install a military government.”

Some officers were assigned to seize control of the Presidential Villa, Niger Barracks, the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) Complex, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

EVIDENCE RECOVERED: WEAPONS, VEHICLES, AND CASH

PREMIUM TIMES has obtained exclusive details of arms, ammunition, vehicles and cash recovered from military officers and civilians suspected of plotting to overthrow President Tinubu’s government.

Sources confirmed that investigators recovered two gun trucks, anti-aircraft (AA) guns, PKT guns, RPG bombs, AK-47 rifles, ammunition and tactical gear from a lieutenant colonel attached to the army’s 130 Battalion.

In addition to the weapons and ammunition traced to the suspects, investigators seized four Toyota Hilux trucks, one Toyota Prado SUV, two Toyota saloon cars, and 32 Volkswagen Golf vehicles allegedly procured for covert operations.

Investigators found that the vehicles were acquired for movements to gather intelligence and enable discreet access to sensitive locations, including airports and other strategic facilities.

“The cars were used to move operatives around without attracting attention and to conduct reconnaissance activities linked to the plot,” one source said.

Security sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the 32 Volkswagen Golf and SUV vehicles were purchased to aid covert operations. Documentary records of the purchases, including receipts and transaction trails, were recovered during investigations and form part of the evidence being compiled against the suspects.

TIMIPRE SYLVA: THE ALLEGED FINANCIER

Former governor Timipre Sylva, who served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under former President Muhammadu Buhari, has been accused of bankrolling the coup plotters and remains at large.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr Sylva allegedly transferred almost N1 billion in multiple tranches to three separate bank accounts operated by a Bureau De Change operator to fund the conspiracy.

One of the transactions under scrutiny is reportedly connected to Mr Sylva, with whom Col. Ma’aji is believed to have maintained a long-standing relationship from his years of service in the Niger Delta.

Following the arrests of Mr Ma’aji and his alleged co-plotters, investigators searched the residence of Mr Sylva in Abuja, raising suspicions about his involvement as a civilian collaborator in the foiled coup.

Mr Sylva’s spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, in a statement, denied his principal’s involvement in the matter.

Mr Bokoru described his principal as “an unrepentant and thoroughbred democrat” who has consistently supported President Tinubu.

Mr Sylva, 61, from Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was later declared wanted by the EFCC last year. Before the declaration, the former governor had his home raided by soldiers investigating the failed plot.

Mr Sylva confirmed the raid at the time but denied any involvement in a coup attempt.

THOSE AT LARGE

A retired major general, identified as Adamu, has been identified as one of the key figures connected to the network. He remains at large, alongside three other suspects.

Intelligence sources disclosed that one of the fleeing suspects was tracked to a country in South America, although his exact location remained undisclosed for security reasons.

Multiple security agencies are now working together to dismantle the remaining cells linked to the plot, with ongoing surveillance and cross-border intelligence coordination.

MILITARY’S INITIAL DENIAL

Military authorities were initially reluctant to admit the coup and claimed that the officers were being investigated for “indiscipline and breach of service regulations.”

In a statement issued on October 4, 2025, the Defence Headquarters said the arrested officers were being investigated for “indiscipline and breach of service regulations.” It added that preliminary findings suggested the officers’ grievances were linked to “career stagnation and failure in promotion examinations.”

In an October 18 statement, the Defence Headquarters described the probe involving the 16 arrested officers as a routine internal investigation aimed at maintaining discipline and professionalism within the armed forces.

Despite mounting evidence and a series of detailed reports by PREMIUM TIMES and other media outlets, the military repeatedly denied that a coup plot existed.

PRESIDENTIAL ACTION: SERVICE CHIEFS SACKED

Following the coup attempt, President Tinubu sacked service chiefs, retaining only Olufemi Oluyede and Emmanuel Undiandeye.

While Mr Oluyede, formerly the Chief of Army Staff, was appointed as Chief of Defence Staff, succeeding Christopher Musa, Mr Undiandeye retained his position as Chief of Defence Intelligence.

However, amid the tension of Christian genocide claims by US President Donald Trump, Mr Musa was called back and appointed as Minister of Defence. He replaced Muhammed Badaru, who said he resigned on health grounds.

COURT MARTIAL PENDING

Sources within the defence and security establishment said authorities are awaiting presidential approval to formally constitute a court-martial panel to try the soldiers involved.

“At least 25 military officers and personnel are expected to face trial in connection with the coup attempt,” one source said.

In addition, an unspecified number of civilians are currently in custody, being held and investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the State Security Service (SSS) for alleged roles in financing, logistics, and coordination.

Security officials say further arrests are likely as investigations continue, with more revelations expected on the structure, funding channels, and operational planning behind the failed coup plot.

The coup plot, according to sources, contributed to the government’s decision to cancel the October 1 Independence Day parade.

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