AfriPulse
ABUJA, Nigeria — A senior army officer accused of coordinating a foiled plot to overthrow Nigeria’s democratic government once served as a security adviser to former Bayelsa State governor Timipre Sylva, according to information obtained by TheCable and confirmed by security sources.
Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, seen by investigators as a central figure in the alleged coup attempt, worked closely with Sylva as part of his security team during the Bayelsa governorship election in December 2015.
At the time, Sylva, then the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, lost to the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Seriake Dickson by 134,998 votes to 86,852.
The discovery has prompted scrutiny of Sylva’s political circle.
Investigators recently searched the former petroleum minister’s Abuja residences as part of the ongoing probe, and his current whereabouts remain unclear.
Sylva has not been publicly linked to the coup attempt by authorities.
Julius Bokoru, Sylva’s special assistant on media and public affairs, dismissed speculation of his involvement.
In a statement, he described Sylva as “an unrepentant and thoroughbred democrat” who has long supported President Bola Tinubu.
There is currently no evidence formally connecting Sylva to the plot, and investigators have not announced suspects beyond the military personnel being questioned.
The presidency has not commented on Sylva’s connection to Ma’aji.
Military intelligence sources say Ma’aji is suspected of playing a pivotal role in recruitment efforts within the armed forces, allegedly focusing on junior officers.
He is also believed to have facilitated funding and logistics, prompting questions about whether political backing may have been involved.
According to officials briefed on the investigation, Ma’aji has refused to cooperate with interrogators and “kept mum” during questioning.
Meanwhile, several junior officers have reportedly given “significant statements” to the special military panel handling the case.
Security operatives have searched the colonel’s Abuja residence and conducted forensic checks on him and his wife.
Investigators are said to have accessed details of the couple’s bank accounts and property holdings, which one military source described as “a trove of information”.
Ma’aji, born in 1976 to Nupe parents from Niger State, is a graduate of the Nigerian Defence Academy’s regular course 47.
Commissioned as a second lieutenant in 2000, he rose to the rank of colonel in 2017 after completing the Policy, Strategy and Leadership Course at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State.
He spent years serving in the Niger Delta, including as commanding officer of the 19 Battalion in Okitipupa, Ondo State, and later in Koko, Delta State.
In January 2021, he assumed command of Operation Delta Safe after a posting from the Nigerian Army Depot in Zaria.
While Ma’aji’s alleged role in the coup plot remains under investigation, the high-profile nature of his political and military associations has drawn widespread attention to the case.
With officers already cooperating with the panel and searches underway, authorities are expected to continue probing possible political links as the investigation unfolds.
Source: TheTrentOnline | Read the Full Story…
