Coup suspect Ma’aji once served as security adviser to Timi Sylva in 2015 Bayelsa poll

Fresh details have emerged about Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, the Nigerian Army officer accused of coordinating the foiled plot to overthrow the country’s democratic government.

Investigators have identified him as a former security adviser to Timi Sylva, then-governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 Bayelsa State election.

According to findings reported by TheCable, Ma’aji played a key role in providing security coordination for Sylva’s campaign during the December 5, 2015 poll, which saw the former governor lose to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Seriake Dickson, by 86,852 votes to 134,998.

Sources disclosed that investigators recently searched Sylva’s residences in Abuja as part of a wider probe into the failed coup attempt. His current whereabouts remain unclear.

However, Sylva’s media aide, Julius Bokoru, has strongly dismissed any link between the former minister and the coup plot, describing his principal as “an unrepentant and thoroughbred democrat” who remains loyal to President Bola Tinubu.

Investigators link Ma’aji to funding, recruitment

Military sources said Ma’aji, who is regarded as “very close” to Sylva, is believed to have played a central role in the coup plot – allegedly overseeing recruitment of junior officers and providing funds and logistics for the operation, according to the report.

His alleged financial involvement has led to speculation that the conspiracy might have had backing from politically exposed persons with significant resources.

Ma’aji, who served in the Niger Delta for several years, has so far refused to cooperate with investigators. “He has kept completely silent,” one military source told TheCable, adding that “his subordinates have, however, made useful statements” to the special investigative panel set up by the military.

Forensic examinations have been conducted on Ma’aji and his wife, while their Abuja residence was searched. Authorities reportedly uncovered details of multiple bank accounts and landed properties linked to the couple.

Military background

Born in 1976 in Niger State to Nupe parents, Ma’aji was a member of Regular Course 47 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 2000.

He rose through the ranks and was promoted to Colonel in 2017 after completing the Policy, Strategy and Leadership Course (PSLC) at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State, where he served as president of Course 21.

Ma’aji’s military career has been closely tied to the Niger Delta, where he once commanded the 19 Battalion in Okitipupa, Ondo State, and later served in Koko, Warri North, Delta State.

In January 2021, he became the Commanding Officer of Operation Delta Safe, after being transferred from the Nigerian Army Depot, Zaria.

As investigations continue, military authorities are said to be analysing intelligence gathered from Ma’aji’s communications, finances, and field operations to determine his exact role and identify any civilian collaborators in the alleged coup plot.