For months, rumors and secrecy have surrounded last year's alleged Independence Day coup plot in Nigeria - but with this week's indictment of six people accused of involvement comes the first details of what is said to have been an elaborate plan to oust President Bola Tinubu. It was due to take place on 1 October 2025 - the day Nigeria marked the 65th anniversary of its independence from the UK.
But at the very last minute, the celebratory parade, to be attended by the president, was cancelled - and the government and military were tight-lipped about why. It was only in January that the military announced, in a statement short on detail, that 16 unnamed senior military officers were to face a court-martial over an alleged plot - effectively admitting a coup attempt had been thwarted.
Now, court documents, filed by state prosecutors at the Federal High Court in the capital, Abuja, have revealed the name of the alleged mastermind and suggest that one of the major aims of the plotters was to destabilize the state ahead of the planned takeover. The six going on trial at the High Court cannot go before a military court - some are civilians, one in a serving police inspector, and others are retired military personnel.
They have denied the 13 charges, including treason, terrorism, and money laundering, and while they may not necessarily be the ringleaders, their trial is likely to shed light on an alleged plan said to have involved all elements of Nigeria's security forces.
Nigeria has a long history of military takeovers but has been under civilian rule since 1999. Several other West African countries have experienced coups in recent years and there has been speculation that Nigeria could be next, with economic hardship rising and accusations that the political system was rigged in favor of a small elite.
Court documents point to Colonel Mohammed Ma'aji as the alleged chief strategist. Little is known about the 50-year-old, a Muslim born in western Niger state who spent much of his early army career in the southern oil-rich Niger Delta region. During the mid-2000s, he developed close ties with oil businessman and one-time governor of Bayelsa state, Timipre Sylva, who was instrumental in getting the oil militants to agree to a ceasefire which eventually led to an amnesty in the creeks in 2009.
Sylva's name appears in seven of the 13 counts - with the words still at large written every time he is mentioned, and investigators believe he was a key financier of this alleged plot to overthrow Buhari's successor.
These details are not in the court documents, but the military investigator explained how the conspirators allegedly planned to storm Nigeria's seat of power, the Aso Rock presidential villa in Abuja, on 1 October.
But the government reportedly got wind of the plot and some arrests were made in the days leading up to Independence Day. Concerns about the extent of the plan convinced the military to abandon its parade on 1 October - and investigations and arrests continued afterwards.
According to military sources, the suspects allegedly procured vehicles for their operation, which were to be used to get to strategic locations such as airports and other sensitive sites. The six defendants before the High Court were remanded into the custody of the DSS on Wednesday until their next court appearance on 27 April for bail hearings.
The few details that have emerged regarding the alleged coup attempt have shocked Nigerians - given the history of military interventions, the country is now facing an uncertainty as it enters a new chapter in its governance history.
But at the very last minute, the celebratory parade, to be attended by the president, was cancelled - and the government and military were tight-lipped about why. It was only in January that the military announced, in a statement short on detail, that 16 unnamed senior military officers were to face a court-martial over an alleged plot - effectively admitting a coup attempt had been thwarted.
Now, court documents, filed by state prosecutors at the Federal High Court in the capital, Abuja, have revealed the name of the alleged mastermind and suggest that one of the major aims of the plotters was to destabilize the state ahead of the planned takeover. The six going on trial at the High Court cannot go before a military court - some are civilians, one in a serving police inspector, and others are retired military personnel.
They have denied the 13 charges, including treason, terrorism, and money laundering, and while they may not necessarily be the ringleaders, their trial is likely to shed light on an alleged plan said to have involved all elements of Nigeria's security forces.
Nigeria has a long history of military takeovers but has been under civilian rule since 1999. Several other West African countries have experienced coups in recent years and there has been speculation that Nigeria could be next, with economic hardship rising and accusations that the political system was rigged in favor of a small elite.
Court documents point to Colonel Mohammed Ma'aji as the alleged chief strategist. Little is known about the 50-year-old, a Muslim born in western Niger state who spent much of his early army career in the southern oil-rich Niger Delta region. During the mid-2000s, he developed close ties with oil businessman and one-time governor of Bayelsa state, Timipre Sylva, who was instrumental in getting the oil militants to agree to a ceasefire which eventually led to an amnesty in the creeks in 2009.
Sylva's name appears in seven of the 13 counts - with the words still at large written every time he is mentioned, and investigators believe he was a key financier of this alleged plot to overthrow Buhari's successor.
These details are not in the court documents, but the military investigator explained how the conspirators allegedly planned to storm Nigeria's seat of power, the Aso Rock presidential villa in Abuja, on 1 October.
But the government reportedly got wind of the plot and some arrests were made in the days leading up to Independence Day. Concerns about the extent of the plan convinced the military to abandon its parade on 1 October - and investigations and arrests continued afterwards.
According to military sources, the suspects allegedly procured vehicles for their operation, which were to be used to get to strategic locations such as airports and other sensitive sites. The six defendants before the High Court were remanded into the custody of the DSS on Wednesday until their next court appearance on 27 April for bail hearings.
The few details that have emerged regarding the alleged coup attempt have shocked Nigerians - given the history of military interventions, the country is now facing an uncertainty as it enters a new chapter in its governance history.
