The primary motivation behind the coup attempt to depose President Bola Tinubu has been revealed by Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji of the Nigerian Army.
Premium Times reports that Ma’aji blamed the suspected coup participants for a host of problems, including rising insecurity, corruption, and economic hardship.
Ma’aji added that conversations about military involvement began in 2023, towards the end of the government of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“When corruption and nepotism became the order of the day toward the end of Buhari’s administration, things particularly got out of hand,” he remarked.
According to the Army Colonel, higher-ups in the military should have taken a stronger stance in response to the worsening security situation. The group then started looking for more officers who felt the same way.
In his letter, he expressed his belief that the officers participating were united by a love of country and a sincere wish to see constructive change.
In addition, Ma’aji claimed that a large portion of the initial investment had come from his own resources, and he revealed that the purported project had been halted due to insufficient funds, logistics, and manpower.
According to his account, a major in the Army put up N1 million, while another officer allegedly chipped in cash multiple times.
While the military commander did say that his repeated failure to get promoted to brigadier general in 2024 was a factor in the resuscitation of the coup attempt, he did clarify that this was not the main motivation behind the purported movement.
Fuel subsidy elimination, currency reforms, taxes, power rates, corruption, and insecurity were among Ma’aji’s points of discontent.
He also referred to the handling of protests such as #EndSARS and #EndBadGovernance, alleging that many young Nigerians had become dissatisfied about unemployment and economic hardship.