Confidential investigation documents have revealed that a police inspector attached to the Presidential Villa allegedly exploited a coup plot to enrich himself, all while convincing the conspirators that penetrating Nigeria's most fortified seat of power was not feasible. The inspector, Ahmed Ibrahim, is among 36 serving military officers and six alleged conspirators facing trial before a General Court Martial and the Federal High Court in Abuja over the failed coup attempt uncovered last September.
Master Plan to Storm Aso Rock
According to intelligence reports, the alleged coup plotters had been seeking a way into the Presidential Villa for years. Their initial plan to disrupt the handover from former President Muhammadu Buhari to President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023, collapsed due to insufficient funds and poor logistics. The operation was reactivated in 2025 after Timipre Sylva, a former Bayelsa State governor and minister of state for petroleum, allegedly transferred nearly N1 billion through a Bureau De Change operator to finance the plot.
With funding secured, the conspirators compiled a high-profile assassination list targeting President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas. Service chiefs and the Commander of the Guards Brigade were also marked for elimination.
The Insider's Deception
Police Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, serving in the VIP escort unit at the Presidential Villa, became a crucial figure when the plotters sought assistance to gain entry. In his extrajudicial statement, Ibrahim said he first met Colonel Mohammed Ma'aji, the alleged chief strategist, through Corporal Audu Momoh during a Ramadan lecture at the Central Mosque in Abuja. According to Ibrahim, Ma'aji later disclosed plans to overthrow the government, citing economic hardship and insincerity.
Instead of cooperating, Ibrahim claimed he conspired with Julius Berger electrician Zekeri Umoru to deceive the colonel. "We agreed to just buy Col Ma'aji time and get what we can get, knowing that penetrating the Villa is not feasible," Ibrahim stated. Over subsequent months, he allegedly received multiple payments totaling N200,000, N100,000, N50,000, and N20,000 via bank transfers, plus N1 million in cash before his wedding in October 2025. He also claimed to have given Corporal Momoh N200,000 for school fees and spent N380,000 on wedding expenses.
Reconnaissance Missions and Coded Language
Despite insisting that access was impossible, Ibrahim admitted escorting two serving majors around the Presidential Villa at Ma'aji's request. He led Major M.A. Usman through Gate 8, House 3, Gate 10, Aguda House, exiting through the Supreme Court Gate and the Bullet Secretariat. A similar tour was conducted for Major A.J. Ibrahim. Investigators are using these movements as evidence of the plot's seriousness.
Ibrahim also disclosed a secret lexicon allegedly adopted by the network: "farmer" meant troops, "fertiliser" meant cash, "harvesting" meant overthrowing the government, "crops" referred to authorities, "master of ceremony" meant the Commander-in-Chief, and "farmland" meant the Presidential Villa.
Fabricated Funding Sources
According to Ibrahim, he invented the identity of a man named Sarkin Malami and suggested he travel to Sokoto to raise funds. Ma'aji booked flight tickets for both, but Ibrahim never travelled and pretended the trip had occurred. He also introduced an acquaintance from Kano, Alhaji Musa, as a businessman capable of sourcing N500 million to N1 billion. However, no money materialized. On April 9, 2025, Ibrahim claimed to have requested additional money for "gate guys" – a fabricated story aimed at extracting more funds from the retired officer.
No Report to Authorities
Despite his alleged deception, Ibrahim admitted he never reported the coup plot to his superiors or any security agency, citing "fear of the unknown." He stated that only himself, Umoru, and an ambulance driver named Ali Musa were aware of the discussions within the Villa. The defendants have all pleaded not guilty, and their legal teams have challenged the admissibility of the extrajudicial statements. The trials continue before both the Federal High Court and the General Court Martial.
