Nigeria, Jan. 29 -- Mohammed Ma'aji, a colonel in the Nigerian Army, has been identified by military investigators as the major leader of the botched coup plot against President Bola Tinubu's administration.

Apart from being the alleged architect of the coup, the infantry officer is believed by investigators to have bankrolled the process.

In late September 2025, military authorities started arresting senior officers suspected of involvement in the coup, including Mr Ma'aji. By early October of that year, 16 officers had been arrested and detained in connection with the coup plot.

Initially, military authorities were reluctant to admit the coup plot, claiming that the officers were being investigated for "indiscipline and breach of ser...