More details have emerged on how military officers accused of plotting to topple President Bola Tinubu’s administration allegedly planned their operation, including the use of coded language, suggested dates for execution and deployment of personnel and logistical arrangements.
The documents also reportedly shed light on what investigators called the suspects’ intended transition plan if the alleged operation was successful.
The disclosures were in confidential investigative documents, said to number more than 7,400 pages, including statements from suspects, bank records, secret notes, records of alleged conversations and other exhibits gathered during the investigation.
Premium Times said the documents reviewed by it indicated the alleged plot was to take over strategic military installations, take-over broadcast facilities, mobilise troops and deal with senior military commanders deemed capable of frustrating the operation.
The allegations are allegations found in the investigative materials and the accused officers have the right to defend themselves against the allegations.
Alleged Plot Coordinated by Officers
Earlier reports named Nigerian army Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji as a leading player in the alleged plot, along with retired Colonel M.M. Adamu, Lieutenant-Colonel Shamsuddeen Bappah and Major Abdulkarim Ibrahim.
Adamu was still at large, military authorities said. Ma’aji, Bappah and Ibrahim were reported to have given separate statements to investigators on the alleged operational plans.
The documents also said coded expressions were allegedly used to hide discussions about the plan.
Investigative records suggest the suspects referred to themselves as ‘farmers’ and the larger purported movement was ‘farming.’
Other terms related to agriculture were also apparently given specific meanings in their communications.
“Fertilisers” supposedly stood for logistics such as money, vehicles, weapons and supplies, while “harvest” was the proposed execution day.
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The operation, allegedly called “digital farming”, involved clerics who were approached to pray for the success of the operation being called “technical partners”.
Investigators also said the expressions “D-Day” and “H-hour” were used to describe the day and time of the operation, respectively.
Other documents showed a disagreement and uncertainty over when the alleged operation would occur.
Investigators were told by Ibrahim that the conspirators thought about doing the operation in the early morning, but a final date was not fixed.
Some of the suspects reportedly talked about three dates, September 27, October 1 and October 4, 2025.
One of the dates being discussed was October 1, Nigeria’s Independence Day.
Another suspect, Major Ilyasu Jamilu, tells investigators that they discussed September 27, October 1 and another later date. But he said no final date was set because preparations for the alleged operation had not been completed.
Similarly, Ibrahim told investigators that the timing ultimately was a matter of the availability of the necessary personnel and equipment.
“The timing of D-Day would depend on the availability of troops and equipment,” he said.
Logistics, troops key to plan, report says
The investigative documents indicated that the timing of the alleged plot was largely determined by the availability of troops, equipment and other logistical needs.
The materials also included details of how individual responsibilities were assigned to participants, and how strategic locations were identified as part of the wider plan, the report says.
Investigators said the planning went beyond the initial operation, with discussions also covering what would happen if the alleged bid to seize power succeeded.
The findings add to the details emerging from the probe of the alleged plot and the roles authorities say individual suspects played.
Investigative papers identified a number of statements allegedly used by the suspects to hide their communications:
Farming – the so-called coup movement
Fertilisers — logistics, similar to money, vehicles, weapons and supplies
Harvest – proposed execution day “D-Day”
Digital farming – the planned operation
Technical partners Clerics allegedly approached to pray for the success of the operation
