Inside the Alleged Coup Plot: Key Plans and Motivational Quotes of the Suspects

The people accused of trying to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government last year imagined themselves in power before their plan was discovered.

Before their takeover, they put together a three-point agenda they likely wanted to start on day one of their new government.

This proposed agenda seemed to still be in the works. It included a review of the removal of fuel subsidies by President Tinubu.

Mr Tinubu announced the end of fuel subsidy payments when he took office in May 2023. This decision immediately caused a harsh cost of living crisis for millions of Nigerians, which continues to affect his administration.

The alleged conspirators, many of whom are now on trial in both military and civil courts, saw the negative impact of this policy as a chance to gain support. They likely believed that reversing the fuel subsidy removal would win them praise from Nigerians struggling with high petrol prices.

PREMIUM TIMES has obtained a secret note from the alleged coup leader, Mohammed Ma’aji, a colonel in the Nigerian Army. This note gives a rare insight into the plans the alleged conspirators had for their expected regime and their motivations.

The note shows Mr Ma’aji’s belief that the coup was a noble effort to improve the welfare, recognition, and working conditions of members of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

This note is part of many confidential documents gathered by investigators. PREMIUM TIMES got exclusive access to these documents to understand the failed coup that troubled the Nigerian government just before the end of last year.

Military investigators say they found the secret note in Mr Ma’aji’s home and that it was examined by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The forensic report, dated 26 January, was sent to the Defence Headquarters.

In his handwritten statement during questioning, Mr Ma’aji admitted that he wrote the note. He told investigators that he personally created the “action plans,” motivational quotes, and other notes as he prepared to take over the government.

Plans for a Regime That Never Happened

The note, which was shared casually at a social event, looks too informal to be taken seriously.

Yet it holds the thoughts of a person accused of trying to remove Nigeria’s elected government led by President Tinubu last year.

The note is lengthy and includes a section titled, “Immediate Actions.” This part covers a whole page, with fuel subsidy review as the top priority.

“Immediate Actions,” begins the writing on that page. It also discusses the salaries and wages of Armed Forces members and national awards for fallen heroes.

“Set up a committee to review fuel subsidy removal.

“Set up a committee to review salaries and wages of all members of the Armed Forces & all security agencies.

“Set up a committee to recommend all fallen heroes for national awards,” the page stated.

Motivational Quotes Behind the Alleged Plot

Besides the three-point agenda, the note contains up to 20 “motivational quotes” that investigators believe reflect Mr Ma’aji’s mindset.

Investigators think Mr Ma’aji used these quotes, including thought-provoking lines from Albert Einstein and other motivational speakers, as inspiration for the alleged coup.

Some notable quotes included, “Money is the great way to lubricate the wheels of a coup d’état.”

He also wrote, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”

The collection also included a quote he attributed to Albert Einstein, “Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.”

Other quotes from the note read, “The spirit of getting ahead is getting started,” and “Everything you can imagine is real.”

Others are:

• If you believe it will work out, you will get opportunities. If you don’t believe, you will see obstacles, Wayne Dyer
• Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind, be led by the dreams in your heart, Roy T. Bennett
• One with courage makes a majority, Andrew
• Playing global politics with a superpower is a bit like sleeping with a gorilla, potentially exciting but inevitably dangerous.
• Never give up on a dream because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway, Earl Nightingale
• When one door of happiness closes, another one opens, but often we look too long at the closed door and don’t see the one that is opened for us, Helen Keller.
• Unsuccessful people make decisions based on their current situations. Successful people make decisions based on where they want to be, Benjamin Hardy.

Ma’aji’s Stated Motivations

For years, the welfare and pay of Nigerian military personnel have been hot topics. Serving and retired officers have often raised concerns about low salaries, allowances, and living conditions.

PREMIUM TIMES’ review of the documents from the failed coup planning shows that Mr Ma’aji pointed to the poor conditions of soldiers and officers as a main reason for the coup plot.

In his statement, Mr Ma’aji claimed that widespread frustration existed within the armed forces. He argued that 80 percent of officers and soldiers were unhappy with how the government treated their welfare.

“If you talk to officers and soldiers, 80 percent are already disgruntled. And it was voluntary. Nobody forced anyone. In this recent effort, I had given up the motive, but some officers kept calling and texting me for help.

“None of them drew back after I shared the plan. The desire for change is real, and that has kept the plan alive for a long time,” he said.

Serving personnel have long said that their salaries do not match the risks of military service. Families of soldiers killed in action have also repeatedly asked for better welfare and support.

Even though the federal government has approved pay increases and welfare measures, many serving and retired personnel feel these changes do not keep up with rising living costs.

The idea of giving national awards to military personnel who die in action in the alleged coup agenda aligns with Mr Ma’aji’s view of the coup as a chance to fight for better rewards and pay for military service.

The plan to review the removal of fuel subsidy by the Tinubu administration could also be the alleged conspirators’ way of appealing to the rest of Nigerians.

Planning the Alleged Coup

Confidential documents reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES have provided more details about how the alleged coup was planned.

Our exclusive report showed how the conspirators used agricultural terms in their secret talks about the coup.

They called themselves farmers and named the whole plan as farming.

They also used other farming-related words: Fertilisers meant logistics, harvest referred to the execution day, digital farming was the operation, and technical partners were clerics they approached for prayers.

No specific date was set for the coup before the conspirators were caught.

PREMIUM TIMES had previously reported that one of the suspects, Ilyasu Jamilu, a major, told investigators that 27 September, 1 October, and 4 October were discussed. But they had not settled on a final date because preparations were not ready.

Another suspect, Abdulkarim Ibrahim, a major, said they planned to launch the operation between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., describing this timing as similar to past military takeovers.

Mr Ma’aji and many others involved in the alleged coup planning were arrested between September and October last year.

Over 40 suspects, including senior military officers, police personnel, and civilians linked to the coup, have been arrested.

Thirty-six serving military officers are currently facing a General Court Martial in Abuja. Six other alleged conspirators are on trial before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja on 13 criminal charges.

The defendants at the Federal High Court in Abuja have challenged the admissibility of their statements and video evidence related to their encounters with Mr Ma’aji and their knowledge of the alleged coup. They claimed that the way the statements and video evidence were collected did not follow the rules in the Administration of Criminal Justice Act. The prosecution has asked the court to dismiss their objections and accept the evidence.