By NJORIGE LYNUS

Fear, Money & Doubt: Inside the Alleged Coup Network That Lost Its Cohesion

THE alleged 2025 attempt to overthrow Nigeria’s elected government is now being scrutinised through thousands of pages of investigation records gathered by security agencies and presented in ongoing legal proceedings.

Among the most revealing accounts are those of military officers who allegedly participated in discussions about the planned takeover but later expressed doubts about its leadership or feasibility.

One such officer, Lieutenant Colonel Shamsuddeen Bappah, told investigators that he gradually lost confidence in Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, whom investigators identified as a key figure in the alleged conspiracy.

His statement raises questions about how personal conduct, spiritual beliefs, money, military ambition and fear allegedly influenced relationships inside the network.

A Conspiracy Allegedly Years in the Making

Bappah said he had known Ma’aji since their time at the Nigerian Defence Academy.

Their relationship developed within the military hierarchy, with Ma’aji later serving as an instructor and battalion adjutant.

According to Bappah, discussions about Nigeria’s political problems eventually moved into conversations about changing the government.

He told investigators that the discussions continued for four or five years.

The alleged turning point came during a meeting in Kaduna around 2022 or 2023, when Ma’aji reportedly told him that military intervention was coming.

If established in court, the account would suggest that the alleged plot had a longer gestation period than a conventional response to a single political event.

However, the statement remains an allegation and must be weighed against other evidence.

The Personal Life Question

Bappah’s account is unusual because one of the principal reasons he cited for losing confidence in Ma’aji concerned the officer’s private life.

He alleged that Ma’aji’s relationships with women had become excessive and began to affect his assessment of the officer’s character.

Bappah questioned whether someone he believed was unable to remain faithful within his family could successfully lead a country and maintain the loyalty of others.

He also feared that photographs or videos connected to those relationships could eventually be used against Ma’aji and, by extension, the alleged conspiracy.

The allegations are highly personal and have not been independently established in the material provided. They also have no automatic bearing on whether an alleged political or military conspiracy existed.

Their significance lies primarily in what they reveal about Bappah’s perception of Ma’aji and why an alleged participant said his confidence in the officer weakened.

Religion, Spiritualism & Leadership

Bappah identified another source of concern: Ma’aji’s alleged reliance on Islamic clerics and traditional spiritual practitioners.

The issue is significant because separate investigation records reportedly contain accounts of clerics who said Ma’aji sought prayers and spiritual guidance.

One cleric allegedly received substantial sums of money from Ma’aji while maintaining that the funds were intended for religious and charitable purposes.

Another alleged that Ma’aji sought prayers after concerns arose about betrayal within the group.

These accounts do not, by themselves, establish that religious figures participated in the alleged coup. Indeed, some clerics reportedly told investigators that they attempted to discourage the plan.

The evidence instead raises questions about the different networks Ma’aji allegedly relied upon while navigating his professional frustrations and political ambitions.

The Promotion Grievance

Behind some of the relationships described in the investigation appears to have been professional frustration.

According to the records, Ma’aji had repeatedly failed promotion examinations and believed his career advancement was being deliberately blocked.

That grievance allegedly became part of the psychological and political background against which discussions about changing government developed.

The relationship between career frustration and alleged political radicalisation remains a matter for investigators and the courts.

But it provides an important context for understanding why a senior military officer with decades of service might allegedly become involved in a plan that could have placed his career and freedom at enormous risk.

From Doubt to Operational Responsibility

Bappah’s alleged involvement did not end when his doubts emerged.

He told investigators that he continued attending meetings and eventually received responsibilities connected with the alleged takeover.

According to his account, he was expected to make arrests after the seizure of power and was instructed to prepare a speech for a possible nationwide broadcast.

Other suspects reportedly gave investigators different accounts of who was ultimately expected to deliver the broadcast.

These inconsistencies matter.

They indicate that investigators are dealing with accounts from multiple suspects whose recollections, interests and levels of involvement may differ.

The eventual courts will have to determine which version is supported by independent evidence.

The Money Trail

Financial transactions also form part of the investigation.

Bappah acknowledged receiving ₦1.5 million for repairs to an official vehicle. He said Ma’aji wanted the vehicle available for an assignment if events unfolded.

He also admitted receiving ₦5 million.

The transactions are potentially important because financial records can provide investigators with evidence independent of oral testimony.

But receiving money from an alleged central figure does not, without more, establish participation in a coup. The purpose of each payment and the context in which it was made remain relevant to the legal assessment.

Why Did He Not Report the Alleged Plot?

Perhaps the most consequential part of Bappah’s statement concerns his failure to alert his superiors.

He acknowledged that he knew discussions about overthrowing the government were illegal.

Yet he said he did not report them because he feared Ma’aji would discover his actions and retaliate.

He later switched off his phone after suspecting that Ma’aji and another officer had been arrested.

The account highlights a central problem in investigating conspiracies within hierarchical institutions: silence does not necessarily mean agreement, but continued participation can also create difficult questions about individual responsibility.

Another Insider, Another Reason for Doubt

Lieutenant Commander Bayawo Abdullahi reportedly reached a different conclusion about Ma’aji.

His doubts allegedly came from what he regarded as failures in logistics and planning.

He eventually described Ma’aji as a “joker” and stopped responding to his messages.

Yet Abdullahi also remained connected to the alleged network long enough to send a message mocking President Tinubu after the cancellation of the Independence Day parade.

He later told investigators that he did not know the cancellation was linked to the alleged plot and denied knowledge of an intended 1st October execution date.

His account adds another layer to the investigation: alleged participants could express doubts about the plan while still communicating with people inside the network.

The Man at the Centre of the Allegations

Ma’aji’s military career reportedly stretched across three decades.

Born in 1976, he joined the Nigerian Army through the 47 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy and completed his training in 2000.

He rose to lieutenant colonel in 2013 and colonel in 2017.

His service included operational duties in the Niger Delta, including participation in Operation Crocodile Smile II.

At the time of his arrest in September 2025, he was reportedly commanding the 19 Battalion in Okitipupa, Ondo State.

The contrast between that career trajectory and the allegations now before the courts underscores the seriousness of the case.

Evidence Still Before the Courts

The investigation records do not constitute final findings of fact.

They contain statements obtained from suspects and other persons questioned during the investigation. Some defendants have challenged the admissibility of their extrajudicial statements.

The allegations therefore remain subject to judicial scrutiny.

What the records nevertheless reveal is an alleged network marked by different levels of commitment. Some participants reportedly expressed political grievances. Others were motivated by professional frustrations. Some allegedly provided money or logistical support. At least some reportedly became sceptical about Ma’aji’s leadership.

That internal fragmentation may ultimately become an important part of understanding the alleged plot.

Beyond the dramatic allegations of a planned takeover, the evidence points to a more complicated question: how a network built around dissatisfaction, ambition and military connections allegedly attempted to transform grievances into an operation—and why some of those closest to its alleged mastermind eventually lost faith in his ability to lead it.

– CLICK HERE TO READ THE PREVIOUSLY 6TH PART OF THIS SERIES