Navy Officer Calls President Tinubu 'Scared' After Parade Cancellation

A Nigerian Navy lieutenant commander on trial for an alleged coup plot has admitted to sending a message calling President Bola Tinubu "scared" after the cancellation of the 1 October Independence Day parade.

The officer, 38-year-old Bayawo Abdullahi from Kogi State, acknowledged sending a WhatsApp message to the coup leader, Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji of the Nigerian Army, shortly after the parade was called off.

Reports say the coup plot was discovered in September 2025, leading to the arrest of 16 military officers. In total, about 40 people have been arrested. This includes senior officers from the armed forces, a police officer, and some civilians.

According to the news, six civilians and former military officers linked to the coup are facing charges in a civil court. The active military officers are being tried at a General Court-Martial (GCM).

After the plot was foiled, the Independence Day parade was cancelled and there were changes in the military leadership. While some media reports linked the parade's cancellation to the coup attempt, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) stated it was cancelled so the president could "attend a strategic bilateral meeting outside the country."

However, the parade was cancelled on the same day Mr Ma’aji, the plot leader, was arrested. "There was a time I sent a message to Col. Ma’aji after the 1 October parade was cancelled," Mr Abdullahi recalled, saying, "The man has cancelled the parade; the bagger is scared."

It is unclear if Mr Abdullahi knew about Mr Ma’aji’s arrest when he sent the WhatsApp message. He explained that his comment was based on the president’s history of not attending the parade. He insisted that the message reflected his personal opinion at the time.

"I just said this phrase because of the history of the president not attending the parade," he said. However, he also admitted that the message showed misconduct and accepted responsibility for it.

"I accept that my actions have threatened the national security of Nigeria and are also disloyal to the president," he added. When asked if he made those remarks because he knew Independence Day was one of the proposed execution dates, he said he did not know.

"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," he stated. "Col Maaji did not inform me. That probably would have been discussed during their subsequent meetings, which I did not attend."

Like Mr Ma’aji, who lost his promotional bid twice, Mr Abdullahi said he had similar grievances. He said he has faced issues with promotion since 2018.

"I was not promoted alongside my coursemates," he stated. "When it was time for our promotion, a case arose in Apapa, and some of us were released, while those who were supposed to be promoted that year missed out because we received letters of displeasure."

He continued, "After I was denied promotion, I was still posted to Maiduguri. Then again, at Jaji, we were withdrawn from the Senior Course because we were accused of examination."

Mr Abdullahi expressed doubt about Mr Ma’aji’s ability to carry out a coup due to a lack of logistics. He eventually called him a joker and stopped responding to his messages.

His only regret was not reporting the plan, saying he did not know who to turn to. "I was not really into his plans and what and how he intends to do that," he said.

The officer suggested several measures to prevent such incidents in the military. He said the grievances of military personnel should be properly communicated to the federal government, especially regarding punishments for unintentional offenses.

He also mentioned the high cost of education, stating that tuition fees in military welfare schools are now similar to those in private schools. Additionally, he urged the government to tackle the economic hardship and hunger affecting Nigerians.

Mr Abdullahi further suggested that officers should have affordable options for permanent housing and called for better living conditions for military personnel.