A Nigerian Navy lieutenant commander standing trial for an alleged coup plot has admitted sending a WhatsApp message that described President Bola Tinubu as “scared” following the cancellation of the 1 October Independence Day parade. The admission came in a statement from Bayawo Abdullahi, a 38-year-old officer from Kogi State, who acknowledged sending the message to the alleged coup leader, Nigerian Army Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, shortly after the parade was called off.
Background of the Coup Plot
The coup plot was uncovered in September 2025, leading to the initial arrest of 16 military officers. In total, about 40 people, including senior officers across the armed forces, a police officer, and civilians allegedly involved, have been arrested and are being prosecuted. Six civilians and former military officers are facing charges in a civil court, while serving military officers are subject to General Court-Martial (GCM).
Authorities cancelled the Independence Day parade and reshuffled the military top hierarchy following the thwarted plot. The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) stated that the parade was called off to allow the president to attend “a strategic bilateral meeting outside the country,” though media reports linked the cancellation to the alleged plot. The cancellation coincided with the day Colonel Ma’aji was arrested.
Officer Admits Sending Message
“There was a time I sent a message to Col. Ma’aji after the 1 October parade was cancelled,” Mr Abdullahi stated, recalling his message: “The man has cancelled the parade; the bagger is scared.” It remains unclear whether Mr Abdullahi knew that Mr Ma’aji had already been arrested when he sent the message. The suspect explained that his remark was based on the president’s history of not attending the Independence Day parade, insisting that the message reflected his personal opinion at the time.
However, he admitted that the message amounted to misconduct and accepted responsibility for its implications. “I accept that my actions have threatened the national security of Nigeria and are also disloyal to the president,” the statement added. When asked if he made the remarks because he knew Independence Day was one of the proposed execution dates, the officer 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. Col Maaji did not inform me. That probably would have been discussed during their subsequent meetings, which I did not attend.”
Grievances Over Promotion
Like Mr Ma’aji, who lost promotional bids twice, Mr Abdullahi said his grievances were similar. He has had issues with promotion since 2018. “I was not promoted alongside my coursemates. 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. 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 said he doubted Mr Ma’aji’s capacity to stage a coup due to lack of logistics, eventually tagging him a joker and ceasing to respond to his frequent messages. His only regret is not reporting the plan, stating he did not know whom to report to. “I was not really into his plans and what and how he intends to do that,” he said.
Recommendations for Military Reform
The officer recommended measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. He called for effective communication of military personnel grievances to the federal government, particularly regarding punishments for unintentional offences. He raised concerns about high education costs, noting that tuition fees in many military welfare schools are now comparable to private schools. He also urged the government to address widespread economic hardship and hunger, provide affordable pathways to permanent home ownership, and improve overall welfare and living conditions for armed forces members.
