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Military investigators have traced more than ₦700m in 47 payments allegedly made to soldiers, civilians, companies and Islamic clerics assigned different roles in the failed 2025 plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.Executive Branch

The investigation records alleged that a former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva, provided ₦785m through Purple Waves Limited, an Abuja-based construction and real estate company accused of serving as a financial intermediary for the purported plot.

The funds were allegedly transferred from the company to accounts controlled by a Kano-based Bureau de Change operator, Abdullahi Sani Mohammed, who reportedly disbursed the money on the instructions of the suspected coup leader, Col. Mohammed Ma’aji.

The claims remain allegations and are subject to determination by the General Court Martial and the Federal High Court, where several suspects are standing trial.

Sylva, who is believed to be outside Nigeria, has denied involvement in the alleged plot.Geographic Reference

According to investigation records reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES, Mohammed made 47 payments to various beneficiaries between September 20 and 30, 2025, as preparations for the alleged coup intensified.

The transactions occurred shortly before dates reportedly considered by the alleged conspirators for the operation, including September 27, October 1 and October 4.

The plan collapsed following Ma’aji’s arrest on September 29, 2025.

Investigators said several members of the alleged network were unaware of his arrest, allowing the BDC operator to continue making transfers until September 30.

Mohammed also reportedly continued receiving funds from Purple Waves until October 2.

In an extra-judicial statement to investigators, Mohammed said he had maintained a longstanding foreign exchange relationship with Ma’aji before the Purple Waves transactions began.

“Sometimes, Oga Ma’aji will call me to ask for a dollar price. If he asks me, I’ll tell him,” he wrote.

“Sometimes, he will ask if he can buy $1,000 or $3,000. Sometimes, he will ask for $10,000 or $9,000.”

He said their dealings later expanded to larger transactions involving accounts operated by A&A Express Link, ASA Multipurpose Concept and Luji Trade and Investment Limited.

Mohammed recalled receiving the first two major payments of ₦150m each into his Providus Bank account around September 18.Banking

“Oga Ma’aji called me around 18 September 2025. He told me his people would pay money into the account,” the statement read.

“As I checked the account, I saw ₦150,000,000 in A&A Express in Providus Bank.”

He said Ma’aji subsequently sent instructions through a WhatsApp voice note directing him to pay ₦10m into a First Bank account.

Mohammed claimed another ₦150m was later credited to the same account, followed by transfers of ₦100m, ₦50m, another ₦100m and ₦50m into his Luji Trade and Investment account at Fidelity Bank.

He confirmed receiving a total of ₦785m from Purple Waves between September 20 and October 2, 2025.

Investigators alleged that some serving and former military personnel received payments for operational responsibilities in the planned takeover.

Lt. Col. Shamsudeen Bappah, allegedly assigned to seize and hold the 102 Battalion in Zuma, Niger State, reportedly received ₦5m on September 27.

Lt. Felix Sunday Stephen, who was allegedly tasked with surveying an airport in Lagos, gathering intelligence and disrupting flights on the proposed operation day, reportedly received an initial ₦5m on September 23 and another ₦12m two days later.

An army officer identified as Lt. Aminu John allegedly received ₦10m on September 22.

Maj. Mundi Usman, who was reportedly assigned to lead an operation at the Presidential Villa, allegedly received multiple transfers, including ₦10m on September 23, another ₦10m on September 25 and ₦5m on September 28.

Squadron Leader Zuzu Noel Goddy of the Nigerian Air Force allegedly received ₦1m on September 28 to deploy gun trucks onto the Abuja airport runway and halt flight operations.

Another officer, Squadron Leader Sani Bubara Adamu, allegedly received ₦1m on September 25 for a purported operation targeting the Air House. Investigators said he remained at large.

Other alleged beneficiaries included former Capt. Abubakar Mohammed, Corporal Aliyu Ibrahim and Warrant Officer Nasiru Ibrahim, who reportedly received ₦5m each.

The records also identified an Islamic cleric, Goni Bukar, as one of the largest individual beneficiaries.

Investigators alleged that Bukar was engaged to provide spiritual support for the planned operation.

He reportedly received ₦10m on September 20, ₦20m on September 23 and another ₦20m on September 29, bringing the total transferred to him to ₦50m.

The cleric has maintained in statements attributed to him that money received from Ma’aji was intended for prayers, charity and mosque-related activities rather than an attempt to overthrow the government.

Investigators also traced several transfers to corporate accounts.

An account belonging to Cutzbytz Cakes reportedly received ₦10.3m on September 22, ₦20m on September 26 and ₦1.2m the following day.

Other recipients listed in the records included Co-fran Spinfluence, which allegedly received ₦32m; Aduko Engineering Services, ₦3.5m; Schutmann Nigeria Limited, ₦10m; Overere Services Limited, ₦15m; and Auto Revive, ₦6.26m.

An auto dealer identified as Ahmed Abdulganiyu allegedly received ₦46.5m on September 27.

Alhaji Abubakar Maliki reportedly received two payments totalling ₦55m, while Christopher Elube allegedly received two transfers totalling ₦36m on September 28.

Investigators said the use of corporate accounts suggested that some beneficiaries received the alleged coup funds through business entities rather than personal accounts.

Mohammed reportedly admitted transferring more than ₦700m to the listed beneficiaries on Ma’aji’s instructions.

The investigation records showed that the BDC operator received names, account details and payment amounts from the colonel.

“Later, he called me to his house in Lokogoma to calculate some money that I paid into people’s accounts,” Mohammed stated.

“He brought out his paper and his list to show me and tell me to buy $5,000 to bring to his house.”

The Nigerian Army reportedly recovered the funds that had not been disbursed when the BDC operator was arrested.

Investigators said the suspected conspirators used agricultural expressions to conceal their communications

The entire operation was allegedly referred to as “farming,” while logistics were called “fertilisers.”

The proposed execution day was described as the “harvest,” the operation itself as “digital farming,” and clerics consulted for prayers as “technical partners.”

The records alleged that Sylva initially hesitated to support the plot before later becoming a major financier through Purple Waves.

The company’s account reportedly held more than ₦5bn when disbursements began in September 2025.

Recall that more than 40 suspects, including serving and retired military personnel, a police officer, clerics and civilians, were arrested between September and October 2025.

Thirty-six military personnel are facing trial before a General Court Martial in Abuja.

Six other defendants are standing trial before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja on 13 counts.

The defendants before the Federal High Court have challenged the admissibility of their statements and video recordings.

They argued that the evidence was obtained in violation of safeguards provided under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

The prosecution, however, urged the court to dismiss the objections and admit the materials in evidence.

Five associates of Sylva are also reportedly being prosecuted over allegations that they failed to disclose information about his whereabouts.

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IT’S words on marble again as FCT minister Nyesom Wike speaks during his media parley.

Read his words on marble below:

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Nigerian software engineer and technology founder, Ajibola Olajide Shokunbi, has launched EDUCAKESIMS V2, an upgraded school-management platform designed to help educational institutions improve administration, financial transparency, data-driven decision-making and teacher productivity.

The platform combines real-time analytics, financial dashboards, banking visibility and artificial intelligence-assisted report management to provide schools with a unified system for managing academic and operational activities.

Since its launch in 2022, EDUCAKESIMS has grown from a local school-management solution into a platform used by more than 12 schools and supporting the management of over 12,000 students.

Shokunbi said the platform was developed to address challenges faced by many Nigerian schools, including reliance on manual processes, fragmented records and spreadsheet-based reporting, which often make it difficult for administrators to access timely information about their operations.

As the founder of EDUCAKESIMS, Shokunbi has overseen the platform’s development into an integrated system supporting academic administration, financial management and institutional planning.

The latest version, EDUCAKESIMS V2, introduces several features aimed at improving how schools monitor performance and manage resources.

The School Analytics Dashboard provides real-time insights into student population, admissions, retention, attendance, gender distribution and demographic trends, enabling school leaders to make informed decisions.

The Income and Expenditure Dashboards allow proprietors and finance teams to track revenue, expenses, outstanding balances and overall financial performance, improving budgeting and accountability.

The School Banking Dashboard uses secure banking integration to give authorised finance personnel near real-time access to school banking transactions, helping to reduce reconciliation delays and improve cash-flow monitoring.

The platform also includes an AI-assisted Report-Card Management feature, designed to help teachers prepare student reports more efficiently while reducing repetitive administrative tasks.

Speaking on the upgrade, Shokunbi said EDUCAKESIMS was built around the realities of Nigerian schools and the need for practical digital solutions.

“EDUCAKESIMS was built from a deep understanding of the realities of Nigerian schools. Many institutions want to digitise, but they need solutions that are practical, affordable and designed around their own operating environment,” he said.

“With EDUCAKESIMS V2, we are bringing together data analytics, financial intelligence, banking visibility and artificial intelligence to help schools make faster, smarter and more accountable decisions.”

The founder said the platform would help schools operating across multiple campuses overcome challenges associated with managing separate administrative, billing, inventory and academic systems.

Dr Akinleye Akingbami, Proprietor of Grace Spring Schools, said EDUCAKESIMS had improved visibility and coordination across the organisation’s campuses spread across six states in Nigeria.

He said managing thousands of students across multiple locations was previously challenging due to fragmented financial reporting, payment reconciliation delays and stock-management issues.

“Since adopting EDUCAKESIMS, we now manage all our campuses through one integrated platform with real-time visibility into both our academic and financial operations,” Akingbami said.

He added that processes which previously took days could now be completed within minutes, while financial accountability and decision-making had improved through access to accurate data.

The launch of EDUCAKESIMS V2 comes amid growing interest in Nigeria’s education technology sector, as schools increasingly adopt digital tools to improve efficiency, accountability and communication.

The platform reflects efforts by local technology founders to develop solutions tailored to the operational needs of Nigerian institutions rather than relying solely on systems designed for other markets.

Shokunbi said the expansion of EDUCAKESIMS demonstrates the role locally developed software can play in strengthening digital infrastructure and supporting the modernisation of education management in Nigeria.