Nigerian Army Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, who is among the military officers accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration, allegedly planned to become Head of Government if the operation succeeded.
This is according to documents from the investigation by Premium Times into the alleged coup attempt.
According to the investigation documents, some members of the group allegedly expected appointments in the proposed government after the takeover.
Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji was allegedly planned to become Head of Government, Lieutenant Colonel Shamsuddeen Bappah reportedly requested to become chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lieutenant Sunday Felix was said to have been promised a ministerial position, while Major Ilyasu Jamilu allegedly sought the role of aide-de-camp (ADC).
The details were contained in more than 7,400 pages of documents compiled by investigators, including statements from suspects, bank records, private notes, communication records and other exhibits linked to the alleged plot.
The investigation documents showed that the alleged conspirators planned to take control of strategic military facilities, government locations and broadcast stations before establishing a new administration.
Previous reports on the case identified Colonel Ma’aji as the alleged central figure in the plan alongside retired Colonel M.M. Adamu, Lieutenant Colonel Shamsuddeen Bappah and Major Abdulkarim Ibrahim.
Investigators said the group used coded words while discussing the alleged operation.
They reportedly referred to themselves as farmers, while the planned takeover was called farming.
Other terms linked to agriculture were allegedly used to describe different parts of the plan, including fertilisers for logistics and harvest for the execution day.
The suspects also reportedly used D-Day to refer to the day of the operation and H-Hour for the time it would begin.
According to the documents, Major Ibrahim told investigators that the group considered launching the operation between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., with possible dates including September 27, October 1 and October 4, 2025.
However, no final date was reportedly selected because preparations were not complete.
Ibrahim told investigators that the availability of troops, weapons and other resources would determine when the operation would take place.
The alleged plot also involved assigning specific duties to members of the group. Some suspects were reportedly tasked with taking control of military formations, the Presidential Villa, airports and other strategic locations.
Investigators claimed one member of the group, Usman, was assigned to lead the operation at the Presidential Villa after carrying out reconnaissance of the facility.
The prosecution also presented evidence in court claiming the suspects discussed cutting power supply to the Villa during the operation, although Zekeri Umoru, a Julius Berger employee attached to the Villa, reportedly warned that such action would attract attention and trigger investigations.
The documents further stated that Lieutenant Colonel Bappah was assigned to take control of the 102 Battalion in Zuma, Niger State, while Major Ibrahim was later expected to deliver a nationwide broadcast from Radio House in Abuja announcing the takeover.
Other officers were allegedly assigned to secure Air House, military facilities in Lagos and the residences of senior military officers.
The alleged plan also included efforts to stop flight operations during the takeover. Investigators said some suspects were assigned to gather information about airport security and disrupt activities at airports in Abuja and Lagos.
The documents claimed the group planned to mobilise troops, vehicles, weapons and ammunition from different military formations across the country.
In the proposed administration, investigators said Colonel Ma’aji allegedly planned to announce new service chiefs after assuming power.
However, the names of those expected to occupy the positions were reportedly not disclosed.
The alleged coup case is currently before the Federal High Court in Abuja and a General Court Martial.
The accused persons are facing charges including treason, terrorism, failure to disclose information and money laundering.
The defendants have challenged the admissibility of their statements and other evidence presented by prosecutors, arguing that proper procedures were not followed during the investigation.
Prosecutors have rejected the claims and maintained that the evidence was obtained according to the law. The court is yet to rule on the objections.
