Colonel Ma'aji Blames Buhari for Failed Coup Plot

Colonel Ma'aji, an infantry officer, is at the center of a failed coup plot against President Bola Tinubu's government in 2025. He stated that his radicalization stemmed from worsening conditions during the final period of former President Muhammadu Buhari's tenure.

Ma'aji noted that insecurity escalated, with kidnapping and banditry spreading across northern Nigeria, particularly in the North-east, North-west, and North-central regions. He described the human cost of this breakdown in security, highlighting the daily loss of lives among troops and civilians.

Ma'aji criticized the higher military hierarchy for failing to act in response to the deteriorating situation, which he believes led him and others to contemplate military intervention. While he did not disclose the specifics of how the coup plot was uncovered or the identities of other conspirators, he emphasized the political and security context that justified their thinking.

Additionally, it was reported that Ma'aji sought spiritual assistance from Islamic clerics during the planning of the coup.