Tinubu: Profile Of Colonel Ma’aji Identified As Chief Suspect In Foiled Coup Plot

A serving Nigerian military officer, Col. Mohammed Ma’aji, has been identified as the principal suspect behind the foiled coup attempt aimed at overthrowing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.

The development was confirmed on Monday, January 26, when the Defence Headquarters acknowledged that about 16 military officers had been implicated in a plot to topple the current administration, more than three months after initial denials by authorities.

In a list released by the judicial panel investigating the matter, Colonel Ma’aji’s name featured prominently among the 16 officers accused of involvement in the aborted October 2025 coup attempt.

Though earlier reports of a coup were denied by military authorities, the latest disclosure confirmed that a plot was uncovered and successfully thwarted.

Here are key facts about the military officer now at the centre of national attention:

Ma’aji was born in 1976 to Nupe parents in Niger State.

He is a graduate of the 47 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

Ma’aji served as Commanding Officer of the 19 Battalion in Okitipupa, Ondo State.

In 2017, he was posted to Koko, the headquarters of the Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State.

Prior to his current posting, he served as a security adviser to Timi Sylva during the 2015 Bayelsa State governorship election.