A new Cable report has revealed that Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, identified as the alleged coordinator of a failed coup plot in Nigeria, once served as security adviser to former Bayelsa governor Timi Sylva during the 2015 governorship election.
Security operatives recently raided Sylva’s Abuja homes, prompting speculation about his link to the plot. However, Sylva’s media aide, Julius Bokoru, dismissed the claims, describing his principal as a “committed democrat” and staunch supporter of President Bola Tinubu.
Investigators say Ma’aji, reportedly close to Sylva, played a key role in the coup plan — allegedly recruiting junior officers and handling logistics and funding, possibly with backing from wealthy political figures. He has so far refused to cooperate with investigators, though several subordinates have made confessions.
Searches of Ma’aji’s home reportedly uncovered extensive financial and property records tied to him and his wife.
Born in 1976 in Niger State, Ma’aji graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy’s Regular Course 47 and rose to the rank of Colonel in 2017. He previously commanded military units in Ondo, Delta, and Zaria, and later served with Operation Delta Safe in the Niger Delta.
The alleged coup attempt has shocked Nigerians, raising fears it could have derailed the country’s two decades of uninterrupted democratic rule.
