Army Colonel Who Plotted Coup against Tinubu Mentions What Happened Under Buhari's Govt
- Colonel Mohammed Ma'aji, who was involved in a failed coup against President Bola Tinubu, cited events under the Buhari administration as his motivation
- Ma'aji pointed to rising corruption, nepotism, and a wave of kidnapping and banditry across northern Nigeria as key grievances
- The colonel said military leaders at the top failed to act when the security situation became critical, pushing him toward the idea of intervention
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Colonel Mohammed Ma'aji, the army officer at the centre of a failed coup plot against President Bola Tinubu in 2025, has spoken about what drove him toward the idea of overthrowing the government — and his account largely blames the administration that came before Tinubu's.
In remarks quoted by Premium Times, Ma'aji, an infantry officer who served across multiple military formations in Nigeria, said the conditions that radicalised him began deteriorating in the final period of former President Muhammadu Buhari's tenure.
Source: Getty Images
Coup plot: What Ma'aji said about the Buhari years
"Things particularly got out of control towards the end of Buhari's administration when corruption and nepotism became the order of the day. Insecurity started spreading from the North (east) to the North-west and North-central parts of the country. Kidnapping and banditry engulfed the whole of northern Nigeria," Ma'aji said.
He went further, describing the human cost of the breakdown in security.
"The structure became critical and precarious with lives of troops and innocent citizens being lost on a daily basis," he wrote, adding that this was when "the idea of military intervention started."
Coup: Ma'aji shares disappointment with military
Ma'aji was direct about where he felt the ultimate failure lay. He said it was expected that the higher hierarchy of the military could have acted to save the situation, but no action came from the top.
That absence of leadership, in his view, was what pushed him and others to consider taking matters into their own hands.
The colonel did not detail in these remarks how or when the plot against Tinubu's government was eventually uncovered, nor did he identify other individuals involved.
His comments were focused on providing the political and security context the he felt justified the thinking behind the conspiracy.
Speaking with Legit.ng, AbdulRasheed Hussain, a policy analyst based in Nigeria, analysed the coup situation:
“Colonel Ma’aji’s remarks highlight how unresolved corruption and insecurity under Buhari created conditions that some within the military perceived as justification for intervention, underscoring the persistent challenge of preventing disillusioned officers from framing coups as corrective measures.”
Colonel sought Islamic clerics' spiritual backing
Legit.ng earlier reported that Mohammed Ma'aji allegedly sought spiritual help from Islamic clerics while pursuing the plan.
His case with Nigerian authorities has continued to elicit reactions from several quarters, with many sharing their views on the matter.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
