Further details have emerged on how military officers accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration allegedly planned their operation, including the use of coded language, proposed dates for execution, and deployment of personnel and logistical arrangements.
The documents also reportedly provide insight into what investigators called the suspects’ proposed transition arrangement should the alleged operation succeed.
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.
The alleged plan, which Premium Times reviewed the documents, was about taking control of strategic military installations, securing broadcast facilities, mobilising troops and dealing with senior military commanders considered capable of frustrating the operation, it said.
The claims are allegations contained in investigative materials, and the accused officers are entitled to defend themselves against the accusations.
Alleged Plot Coordinated by Officers
Nigerian Army Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji was identified in previous reports as a principal figure in the alleged conspiracy 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 said to have given separate statements to investigators about the alleged operational plans.
The documents also said coded expressions were allegedly adopted to hide discussions about the plan.
Investigative records show the suspects called themselves ‘farmers,’ while the larger purported movement was ‘farming.’
Other agriculture-related terms were also reportedly assigned specific meanings during their communications.
“Fertilisers” supposedly meant logistics such as money, vehicles, weapons and supplies, while “harvest” stood for the proposed execution day.
The planned operation was supposedly called “digital farming”, with clerics approached to pray for its success said to be “technical partners”.
Investigators also said the expressions “D-Day” and “H-hour” were used to describe the day and time of the operation, respectively.
More documents showed disagreement and uncertainty about when the alleged operation would happen.
Ibrahim told investigators that the conspirators considered doing the operation in the early morning but a final date was not set.
Some of the suspects reportedly discussed three dates, September 27, October 1 and October 4, 2025.
October 1, Nigeria’s Independence Day, was one of the dates reportedly being considered.
Another suspect, Major Ilyasu Jamilu, is said to have told investigators that September 27, October 1 and another later date were discussed. But he insisted that no final date was set because preparations for the alleged operation were not complete.
Similarly, Ibrahim told investigators that the timing ultimately was a matter of the availability of the necessary personnel and equipment.
“The availability of troops and equipment would determine which of the dates would be D-Day,” he said.
Logistics, Troops Central To Plan, Report Says
The investigative documents indicated that the availability of troops, equipment and other logistical requirements was a major consideration in determining when the alleged plot would be activated.
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 preparations went beyond the initial operation, with conversations also addressing what would occur if the alleged attempt to seize power was successful.
The findings add to the details emerging from the investigation into the alleged plot and the roles authorities say were played by individual suspects.
Investigative documents identified a number of statements allegedly used by the suspects to hide their communications:
Farming – the so-called coup movement
Fertilisers — logistics, such as money, vehicles, weapons and supplies
Harvest – proposed execution day or “D-Day”
Digital farming – the planned operation
Technical partners – Clerics allegedly approached to pray for the success of the operation
