By Yinka Giwa
A Nigerian Navy Lieutenant Commander standing trial over an alleged plot to overthrow the administration of President Bola Tinubu has told military investigators that the alleged mastermind of the conspiracy, Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, lacked both the capacity and logistics to execute a coup, adding that he eventually dismissed him as “a mere joker.”
According to Premium Times, Lieutenant Commander Bayawo Abdullahi made the disclosure in a statement to investigators obtained during the probe into the alleged September 2025 coup plot.
The newspaper reported that the 38-year-old naval officer from Kogi State admitted maintaining contact with Ma’aji but insisted he never believed the alleged coup plan was realistic because the army colonel lacked the resources required to carry it out.
“I was not really into his plans and what and how he intends to do that,” Abdullahi was quoted as saying.
He explained that as time went on, he concluded that Ma’aji did not possess the operational capability to execute such an ambitious plot and consequently stopped taking his communications seriously, eventually regarding the colonel as “a joker.”
Abdullahi, however, acknowledged that he made a serious mistake by failing to report the discussions to the appropriate authorities, claiming he was uncertain about whom to approach with the information.
The naval officer is among dozens of military personnel facing trial following the alleged foiling of a coup plot uncovered by security agencies in September 2025.
KTH Daily had reported that the investigation initially led to the arrest of 16 military officers before expanding to about 40 suspects, including senior officers from different branches of the Armed Forces, a police officer, and several civilians. While serving military personnel are being tried before a General Court-Martial, six civilians and retired military officers are facing prosecution before a civil court.
Abdullahi also admitted sending a controversial WhatsApp message to Ma’aji after the Federal Government announced the cancellation of the October 1 Independence Day parade.
Recalling the exchange, he said he wrote: “The man has cancelled the parade; the bagger is scared.”
Investigators interpreted the message as referring to President Tinubu, whose administration had announced the cancellation of the annual parade amid heightened security concerns.
However, Abdullahi insisted his remark was not based on prior knowledge of any planned coup operation.
“I just said this phrase because of the history of the president not attending the parade,” he explained.
He further denied knowing that October 1 had allegedly been discussed by suspected plotters as a possible date for executing the operation.
“I just said this out of ignorance, and I can state categorically that I was not aware that the October 1 parade was to be the execution date.
“Col. Ma’aji did not inform me. That probably would have been discussed during their subsequent meetings, which I did not attend,” he stated.
The media had reported that although speculation linked the cancellation of the parade to the alleged coup plot, the Defence Headquarters had maintained at the time that the event was cancelled to enable President Tinubu to attend a strategic bilateral meeting outside the country. The cancellation reportedly occurred on the same day Ma’aji was arrested.
Abdullahi nevertheless accepted responsibility for sending the WhatsApp message, admitting that his conduct could reasonably be viewed as disloyal to the Commander-in-Chief.
“I accept that my actions have threatened the national security of Nigeria and are also disloyal to the President,” he stated.
The Lieutenant Commander also disclosed that he had endured years of frustration over his career progression in the Nigerian Navy, saying his promotion problems began in 2018 after disciplinary issues prevented him and some of his coursemates from advancing with their peers.
He said subsequent postings, including deployment to Maiduguri and withdrawal from the Senior Course at Jaji over an examination-related allegation, further stalled his career.
Despite these grievances, Abdullahi maintained that he was never actively involved in planning any coup operation.
He also urged the Federal Government to improve the welfare of military personnel by creating better channels for officers to air grievances, addressing rising living costs, reducing school fees in military welfare schools, tackling economic hardship, and introducing affordable housing schemes for members of the Armed Forces.
According to the report, the naval officer argued that improving the welfare of military personnel would reduce discontent within the Armed Forces and help prevent similar incidents in the future.
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