A Nigerian Navy lieutenant commander standing trial over the alleged 2025 coup plot against President Bola Tinubu has revealed details of how the plan unfolded, admitting that he sent a WhatsApp message describing the president as “scared” after the cancellation of the 2025 Independence Day parade.
The officer, Bayawo Abdullahi, 38, made the disclosure in a written statement presented during interrogation. He admitted sending the message to the alleged coup leader, Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji of the Nigerian Army, shortly after the October 1 parade was cancelled.
The alleged coup plot was uncovered in September 2025, leading to the arrest of about 40 suspects, including serving and retired military officers, a police officer, and civilians. While serving officers are being tried before a General Court-Martial, civilian suspects are facing prosecution in a civil court.
Following the discovery of the alleged plot, the Federal Government cancelled the 2025 Independence Day parade and carried out a reshuffle of top military commanders. Although speculation linked the cancellation to the coup investigation, the Defence Headquarters maintained that President Tinubu skipped the parade to attend an important bilateral meeting outside Nigeria.
WhatsApp Message After Parade Cancellation
In his statement, Abdullahi admitted sending a message to Colonel Ma’aji after learning that the parade had been cancelled.
According to him, the message read: “The man has cancelled the parade; the bagger is scared.”
He explained that the comment reflected his personal opinion based on what he believed was the president’s previous pattern of missing Independence Day celebrations.
The officer said he was unaware that Colonel Ma’aji had already been arrested when he sent the message.
Officer Admits Misconduct
Abdullahi acknowledged that sending the message was inappropriate and admitted it amounted to misconduct.
He said he accepted responsibility for his actions, adding that they could be interpreted as threatening Nigeria’s national security and showing disloyalty to the president.
The officer also denied having prior knowledge that October 1 had allegedly been considered as a possible date for executing the coup.
According to him, Colonel Ma’aji never informed him of such plans, and he did not attend later meetings where those discussions may have taken place.
Promotion Frustration Fueled His Discontent
Abdullahi told investigators that, like Colonel Ma’aji, he had long-standing grievances over his stalled military career.
He said he had experienced repeated setbacks in promotions since 2018 after disciplinary issues affected his career progression. He added that he was later deployed to Maiduguri and subsequently withdrawn from a senior military course over allegations related to examinations.
The officer said these experiences left him frustrated but insisted he eventually lost confidence in the alleged coup plan.
‘I Thought He Was Only Joking’
According to Abdullahi, he never believed Colonel Ma’aji had the resources or logistics required to successfully overthrow the government.
He described the alleged coup leader as someone he eventually regarded as a joker and said he stopped responding to many of his messages.
His biggest regret, he said, was failing to report the alleged discussions to the authorities, explaining that he did not know who to approach with the information.
Recommendations to Prevent Future Discontent
Abdullahi urged the government to improve the welfare of military personnel to reduce dissatisfaction within the armed forces.
He recommended better communication of officers’ grievances to the Federal Government, fairer disciplinary measures, improved promotion processes, more affordable education in military welfare schools, expanded housing opportunities for officers, and stronger efforts to address the country’s economic hardship and rising cost of living.
The trial over the alleged 2025 coup plot continues before the relevant military and civil courts.
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