A Nigerian Navy Lieutenant Commander standing trial over an alleged coup plot has admitted sending a WhatsApp message mocking President Bola Tinubu after the cancellation of the 1 October Independence Day parade, describing the President as “scared.”
The officer, 38-year-old Bayawo Abdullahi from Kogi State, made the admission in a press release offered as a part of the continued trial over the alleged 2025 coup plot in opposition to the Tinubu administration.
Abdullahi acknowledged sending the message to the alleged chief of the plot, Nigerian Army Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, shortly after the annual Independence Day parade was cancelled.
In accordance with the assertion, Abdullahi wrote, “The person has cancelled the parade; the bagger is scared.”
The alleged coup plot was uncovered in September 2025, resulting in the arrest of about 40 suspects, together with serving and retired army officers, a police officer and civilians. Whereas serving army personnel are dealing with a Basic Court-Martial, the civilians and retired officers are being prosecuted earlier than a civil court docket.
The cancellation of the Independence Day parade got here shortly after safety businesses uncovered the alleged coup plot.
Though many linked the choice to the safety risk, the Defence Headquarters had defined on the time that the parade was cancelled as a result of President Tinubu wanted to attend “a strategic bilateral assembly exterior the nation.”
The cancellation additionally coincided with the day Colonel Ma’aji was arrested.
Abdullahi advised investigators that his message mirrored solely his private opinion and was primarily based on what he believed was the President’s historical past of not attending Independence Day parades.
“I simply stated this phrase due to the historical past of the president not attending the parade,” he stated.
The naval officer, nevertheless, admitted that sending the message amounted to misconduct and accepted accountability for his actions.
“I settle for that my actions have threatened the nationwide safety of Nigeria and are additionally disloyal to the president,” he acknowledged.
He denied making the comment as a result of he knew the alleged coup plotters had deliberate to execute their operation on Independence Day.
“I simply stated this out of ignorance, and I can state categorically that I used to be not conscious that the October 1 parade was to be the execution date,” he stated. “Col Ma’aji didn’t inform me. That in all probability would have been mentioned throughout their subsequent conferences, which I didn’t attend.”
Abdullahi additionally spoke about his frustrations throughout the army, saying repeated setbacks in his promotion contributed to his grievances. He defined that he was not promoted alongside his coursemates in 2018 following disciplinary points involving some officers.
“I used to be not promoted alongside my coursemates. When it was time for our promotion, a case arose in Apapa, and a few of us had been launched, whereas those that had been purported to be promoted that yr missed out as a result of we acquired letters of displeasure,” he stated.
He added, “After I used to be denied promotion, I used to be nonetheless posted to Maiduguri. Then once more, at Jaji, we had been withdrawn from the Senior Course as a result of we had been accused of examination.”
Regardless of sustaining contact with Colonel Ma’aji, Abdullahi stated he ultimately misplaced confidence within the alleged coup plan as a result of he believed its chief lacked the logistics and assets wanted to hold it out.
“I used to be probably not into his plans and what and the way he intends to try this,” he stated, including that his best remorse was failing to report what he knew as a result of he didn’t know who to strategy.
The officer additionally urged the federal government to enhance the welfare of army personnel, tackle delays in promotions, cut back the burden of college charges in army welfare colleges, sort out the nation’s financial hardship and starvation, and supply reasonably priced housing alternatives for members of the armed forces to assist stop comparable incidents sooner or later.
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