The untold story of the coup plot against Tinubu

It is no longer news, the Nigerian military authorities have confirmed that there was indeed a  plot to overthrow the democratically elected  government of Presiedent Bola Tinubu. But what is not known  is how  the coup plot was uncovered and thwarted.

A report  by Premuim Times, says a  joint intelligence operation by the Nigerian Army and the State Security Service (SSS) prevented a planned coup to overthrow President Bola Tinubu and assassinate senior political figures, Premium Times can report.

The report says the plot came to light in late September 2025 when a serving military officer alerted then Chief of Army Staff Olufemi Oluyede over fears of being implicated in treason. Around the same period, the SSS independently uncovered evidence that some army officers were planning to destabilise the government.

Another report by the online new platform says investigations later identified Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji as the principal architect of the failed coup. Sources told Premium Times that the infantry officer coordinated planning, logistics, and financial support, including transfers to co-conspirators. Civilian collaborators were reportedly involved, with former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva linked to financial trails, though his office denied any involvement.

A discreet nationwide operation was said to been launched, and on 30 September 2025, as President Tinubu visited Imo State, security forces arrested Ma’aji and 15 other officers. Items recovered included an AK-47 rifle, magazines, and ammunition. Some suspects remain at large, including a retired general and a former governor.

Following the arrests, key service chiefs, including the then Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa, were retired. Oluyede was appointed Chief of Defence Staff, while Emmanuel Undiandeye retained his position as Chief of Defence Intelligence. Musa was later appointed Minister of Defence.

The intended targets of the coup reportedly included President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. Plotters were also said to have planned to detain senior military officers and allegedly relied on informants within the Presidential Villa to monitor the movements of political leaders.

The military authorities did not only publicly acknowledge the foiled plot on 26 January 2026, it also confirmed that all officers involved, including Ma’aji, would face a military judicial panel under the Armed Forces Act.  But sources, according to Premium Times described Ma’aji, 49, a Nupe from Niger State, as unrepentant and uncooperative.

He was  said to have been the Commanding Officer of the 19 Battalion in Ondo State and previously served in key operations in the Niger Delta.