Coup Suspect Shares Details on Recruitment and Plot

A retired naval captain facing coup charges over last year’s alleged attempt to topple President Bola Tinubu’s government has told investigators he knew about the plan but repeatedly warned the suspected leader, Mohammed Ma’aji, a Nigerian Army colonel, against it.

This account comes from investigation records seen by PREMIUM TIMES.

The records include a statement from Erasmus Victor, one of six defendants on trial for the alleged coup plot at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

In his statement, Mr Victor, who moved into politics after leaving military service, admitted to discussing the alleged plot with Mr Ma’aji several times. They communicated through an encrypted messaging app and even joked about government positions if the coup was successful.

Mr Victor, a former local government chairman in Rivers State, shared that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, and others were mentioned as possible financiers during the coup leader’s search for sponsors.

He insisted that although he did not inform security agencies, he never supported the alleged conspiracy. He only pretended to help Mr Ma’aji while trying to convince him to drop the plan.

Details of the Coup Investigation

Mr Victor is facing trial with five others, including retired military officers, over the alleged 2025 plot to overthrow President Tinubu’s administration.

The case followed months of investigations by security agencies after the alleged plot was uncovered in September 2025.

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that investigators believe the alleged conspirators planned to kill President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, military chiefs, and other top government officials before taking over.

Investigators also claim that members of the group had different roles, including military strategies, scouting, finding sponsors, spiritual consultations, logistics, and propaganda.

Devastation Over Promotion Loss

In his statement, Mr Victor traced his long relationship with Mr Ma’aji, saying it started years before the alleged coup planning.

The retired naval officer explained that they first worked together at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), where he was the commanding officer of the Burma Battalion while Mr Ma’aji served as his adjutant.

Their relationship continued after their time at the academy.

According to Mr Victor, everything changed after Mr Ma’aji did not get promoted around 2023.

“He was very devastated,” Mr Victor told investigators.

He said he called Mr Ma’aji to console him, sharing that he too faced disappointments in his military career but eventually overcame them.

Mr Victor advised him to start preparing for retirement instead of letting the setback affect him.

Mr Ma’aji rejected the advice and allegedly said he was ready to do “anything necessary,” even risking his life.

Mr Victor understood this as Mr Ma’aji’s intention to plan a coup against the government.

Searching for Sponsors

Mr Victor told investigators he repeatedly urged Mr Ma’aji to drop the idea.

He said that the colonel later told him he needed rich sponsors to finance the operation.

Fifty-year-old Mr Ma’aji, from Bida in Niger State, allegedly mentioned several influential people and asked Mr Victor to approach them.

Among those mentioned was FCT Minister Mr Wike.

Mr Victor claimed he told the colonel that Mr Wike was the only person he knew and suggested that Mr Ma’aji should contact him directly if he needed support.

Mr Victor served as the chairman of the Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State from 2018 to 2021 while Mr Wike was the governor.

“I have been a local government chairman for Ogu/Bolo LGA under Nyesom Wike, and I left office in 2021,” he wrote. “He suggested I bring Nyesom Wike into the plan to seek funds from him.”

He maintained that he was “not under compulsion to tell Col Ma’aji I was going to get him sponsors.”

He added that he never approached any of the individuals, including Mr Wike.

Instead, he simply told Mr Ma’aji that he had not been able to secure any sponsorship.

Doubts About the Plan

Mr Victor said his concerns about the alleged plan grew after Mr Ma’aji again sought financial backing following another failed promotion.

He questioned whether the colonel was genuinely planning a coup or just trying to scam wealthy people.

“I suspected it was 419,” he told investigators.

He believed that anyone who willingly gave money to fund a coup would not be able to report if they were defrauded.

So, he never tried to find sponsors, even though he repeatedly assured Mr Ma’aji he would make inquiries.

Whenever the colonel followed up, Mr Victor said he told him that the supposed sponsors had declined to participate.

Mr Victor was not the only one who had doubts about Mr Ma’aji’s ability to carry out the coup. An earlier report by PREMIUM TIMES showed that Nigerian Navy lieutenant commander Bayawo Abdullahi had doubts about Mr Ma’aji’s ability to raise enough funds and manage the logistics for the operation.

Also, Shamsuddeen Bappah, a lieutenant colonel in the Nigerian Army Signals Corps, said during questioning that he was discouraged by Mr Ma’aji’s alleged promiscuity and dependence on spiritualists and clerics.

Mr Victor said he and Mr Bappah discussed the alleged plot as well.

Secure Communications

The investigation records also show that Mr Victor admitted to communicating with Mr Ma’aji through Zangi, an encrypted messaging app used for secure conversations.

He said Mr Ma’aji suggested this app because it provided safer communication than regular phone calls.

According to Mr Victor, he downloaded the app just to talk with Mr Ma’aji and another officer, Mr Bappah.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Bappah was to take control of the 102 Battalion in Zuma, Niger State, during the planned coup. Another report showed that the lieutenant colonel received N5 million on 27 September 2025 from funds allegedly raised for the operation.

Mr Victor explained the origin of one of the nicknames investigators found during their search of electronic communications.

He said he once nicknamed Mr Ma’aji “Asymmetric Officer” when the latter was posted to the North-east, while Mr Ma’aji jokingly called him “Maritime Asymetrician.”

Discussion on Positions After the Coup

Investigators also asked Mr Victor about talks regarding positions in a possible new government after the coup.

According to his statement, one discussion happened in a meeting with Mr Ma’aji and Colonel M.M. Adamu.

During the talk, Mr Ma’aji allegedly asked what position Mr Victor would like if the coup succeeded.

Mr Victor jokingly reminded him that he had promised to make him Chief of Staff to the President.

But Mr Ma’aji replied that he would make him a minister instead.

Conversations with Officer Bappah

Mr Victor also described talks with Mr Bappah, a colonel he recognized as his former cadet at the NDA.

He said Mr Bappah often complained about low salaries and poor conditions in the military.

During a visit to Lagos, Mr Victor said Mr Bappah openly told him that he and Mr Ma’aji were planning to overthrow the government.

Even after hearing this, Mr Victor admitted he never informed security agencies.

The N2 Billion Budget

One of the most shocking details in Mr Victor’s statement was the amount needed for the operation.

He said Mr Ma’aji revealed that he needed around N2 billion to fund the coup.

Mr Victor warned the colonel that modern communication systems would make the operation hard to hide.

He told investigators he thought those communication issues alone would lead to failure.

When Mr Ma’aji later said he had secured funding, Mr Victor simply replied, “Good.”

Revolutionary Content

Investigators also asked Mr Victor about online materials found during the investigation.

He admitted to forwarding what was seen as revolutionary-themed social media content to Mr Ma’aji via WhatsApp.

Though he claimed he always advised the colonel against acting on any plans, he acknowledged he could not explain why he shared such material.

Why I Never Reported

Throughout his statement, Mr Victor admitted he never informed security agencies, even after becoming aware of the alleged conspiracy.

He claimed he tried to reach the then-Rivers State Sole Administrator after growing concerned but could not get through because his calls were unanswered. Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice-admiral of the Nigerian Navy, was the sole administrator of Rivers State for six months, from March to September 2025, after President Tinubu imposed emergency rule in the state.

Mr Victor also confessed that despite being in several military WhatsApp groups, including one for his coursemates, he never informed any of them about the alleged plot.

“I did not report the plans, and I am sorry,” he told investigators.

Concern After Arrests

Mr Victor further told investigators he became worried during Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations when he suddenly lost contact with Mr Ma’aji.

He tried calling the officer multiple times without success. Eventually, he learned that Mr Ma’aji had been arrested on 29 September.

Mr Victor said he also tried reaching Mr Bappah but could not.

He eventually called Colonel S.M. Gana via WhatsApp and found out about Mr Ma’aji’s arrest.

According to his statement, he immediately suggested moving their conversation from WhatsApp to the encrypted Zangi app to have a safer way to discuss the arrest and get more information.

Denials

The defendants facing charges from the alleged coup have maintained their innocence and pleaded not guilty to all counts in the General Court Martial or the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Mr Victor and his co-defendants have challenged the admissibility of their statements and video clips from their interrogations, alleging that these were obtained without following the law. The prosecution has asked the court to reject their request and accept the materials as evidence. The judge has not yet made a decision.

Mr Sylva, the suspected main financier, has denied any involvement.

The former minister of state for petroleum resources firmly stated he is not connected to the plot in any way. He described the accusations as mere rumors.

“Chief Timipre Sylva, CON, has no involvement whatsoever, either in planning or logistics, with any such plot. He is a thoroughbred democrat whose political journey has been defined by faith in democratic processes and institutions,” his spokesperson said in a statement after security forces searched his house in Abuja in October last year.

Mr Sylva, who claimed he was in the UK with his wife and scheduled to travel to Malaysia, has not returned to Nigeria yet.

Meanwhile, five people linked to him are on trial for allegedly hiding his whereabouts.

The government has also secured an interim forfeiture order for nine properties linked to him in key areas of Abuja.

All pretrial claims will go through judicial examination during the ongoing trials to establish their validity.