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Alleged masterminds of the failed plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration had reportedly drawn up a three-point programme for implementation after taking control of government.

The proposed measures included a review of the removal of petrol subsidy, an adjustment of salaries and wages for members of the Armed Forces and other security agencies, and national honours for military personnel killed in active service.

According to Premium Times, details of the plan were reportedly contained in a handwritten note recovered from the residence of the alleged leader of the plot, an Army colonel, Mohammed Ma’aji.

Ma’aji and some of the alleged conspirators are currently facing proceedings before military and civil courts over the purported attempt to remove the democratically elected government.

The allegations against them have not been established by the courts.

Premium Times revealed that the document was among confidential materials gathered by investigators examining the alleged conspiracy.Government

A page of the note, titled “Immediate Actions,” reportedly listed the steps the alleged plotters intended to take after seizing power.

It read, “Set up a committee to review fuel subsidy removal.

“Set up a committee to review salaries and wages of all members of the Armed Forces and all security agencies.

“Set up a committee to recommend all fallen heroes for national award.”

Investigators reportedly said the note was recovered from Ma’aji’s home and subjected to forensic examination by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The forensic report, dated January 26, was said to have been forwarded to the Defence Headquarters.

Colonel Admits Writing Note
Ma’aji reportedly admitted ownership of the document in a handwritten statement made during interrogation.

He was said to have told investigators that he personally wrote the proposed “action plans,” motivational statements and other entries in preparation for an alleged takeover of government.

Although the document was written in a jotter distributed as a souvenir at a social event, investigators reportedly considered its contents significant to understanding the alleged plot and the thinking of those involved.

The note was also said to contain about 20 motivational statements, which investigators believed reflected Ma’aji’s state of mind during the planning.

One of the entries read, “Money is the great way to lubricate the wheels of a coup d’état.”

Another stated, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”

The collection also included the statement, “Try not to become a man of success but a man of value,” which Ma’aji attributed to scientist Albert Einstein.

Other entries encouraged courage, persistence and the pursuit of long-term ambitions.

Plotters Allegedly Targeted Subsidy Policy
The reported proposal to review the removal of petrol subsidy appeared designed to address the economic hardship experienced by Nigerians since the policy was announced.Geographic Reference

Tinubu declared an end to fuel subsidy payments during his inauguration on May 29, 2023.

The decision led to a sharp rise in petrol prices and contributed to increases in transportation, food and other living costs.

Investigators reportedly believed the alleged conspirators hoped that reversing or reviewing the policy would attract public support for their planned government.

The proposed subsidy review was seen as the alleged plotters’ offer to Nigerians outside the military, while the other two measures focused on the welfare and recognition of security personnel.

Documents reviewed during the investigation reportedly showed that Ma’aji identified the salaries, allowances and living conditions of military personnel as a major reason for the alleged conspiracy.

In his statement, the colonel claimed there was widespread dissatisfaction among officers and soldiers over the treatment of their welfare.

“If you interact with officers and soldiers, 80 per cent are disgruntled already. And it was a voluntary thing. Nobody was coerced,” he reportedly wrote.

Ma’aji further claimed that he had abandoned the idea at one point but was encouraged to continue by other officers.

“In this recent effort, I had given up the motive, but some officers kept texting and calling for my intervention.

“There were none who, after I spoke to them, drew back after sharing the plan with them. The desire for change is genuine, and that has been what has kept the plan alive for a long time,” he added.

Military Welfare Remains Contentious

The remuneration and welfare of Nigerian military personnel have remained subjects of public concern for several years.Geographic Reference

Serving and retired personnel have repeatedly complained that their salaries and allowances do not adequately reflect the risks and demands associated with military service.

Families of personnel killed in active duty have also called for improved compensation, housing, education and long-term support.

Although the Federal Government has periodically introduced welfare measures and reviewed some allowances, military personnel and veterans have maintained that the interventions have not kept pace with inflation and the rising cost of living.

Investigators reportedly believed that the proposed national honours for fallen personnel and the review of security agencies’ salaries were intended to present the alleged takeover as an effort to improve conditions within the Armed Forces

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Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, on Monday conducted a mass wedding for 600 couples drawn from less privileged backgrounds in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.

The ceremony was attended by the daughter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dr.
Mujidat Folashade Tinubu, alongside Islamic scholars and other dignitaries from across the state.

Speaking at the event, Governor Idris said the mass wedding was facilitated through his wife, Dr. Nafisa Nasir Idris’ NANA Foundation, in collaboration with the state government, in line with Islamic injunctions. He pledged that the initiative would continue for as long as he remains governor of the state.

According to the governor, the programme sponsored 300 women and another 300 beneficiaries, including widows and persons with disabilities.

The government, through the foundation, also paid an Islamic dowry of ₦250,000 for each couple.
Governor Idris congratulated the newly married couples and urged them to uphold the values and responsibilities of marriage in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
He also expressed appreciation to everyone who attended the ceremony, especially Dr. Mujidat Folashade Tinubu, Islamic clerics, and other dignitaries who graced the occasion.

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Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Engagement, Frederick Nwabufo, on Monday criticised the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, describing his recent television interview as further evidence of what he called the opposition leader’s lack of policy depth and understanding of governance.

Reacting in a post on his verified X handle, @FredrickNwabufo, to Obi’s appearance on Channels Television on Sunday night, Nwabufo said the interview showed the NDC candidate had failed to articulate any concrete alternative policy direction.

“Peter Obi’s interview shows him again to be vacant of deep thought, understanding of governance, and taken up by syrupy rhetoric. He still has no plan, no alternative, and no policy plank, beyond a mouthful of sentimental nothings”, he said.

The presidential aide also faulted Obi’s claim that he would unite Nigeria, arguing that the opposition candidate failed to explain how he intended to achieve that objective.

“Obi claimed he would unite Nigeria, but failed to explain how beyond the tired refrain of his cooks and ADC being northerners”, Nwabufo said, adding that “his utterances, actions, and those of his followers have but deepened the chasm”.

According to him, national cohesion is built on “inclusive governance, economic integration, and equitable citizenship”, stressing that “the balancing forces of national cohesion are governance and the economy”.

He argued that strengthening national unity requires governments to ensure that “public resources are delivered to all citizens regardless of faith, ethnicity, or social standing and that the government is fair and just to all”.

Nwabufo said President Bola Tinubu had demonstrated those principles by ensuring that “the six geopolitical zones are equal beneficiaries of its programmes, initiatives, and projects, and indeed, all the accruals of governance”.

He further cited the administration’s appointments into public offices, saying, “He appointed young professionals from diverse backgrounds at an unprecedented scale. For the first time in the evolution of Nigeria, young people are superintending strategic sectors of government”.

The presidential spokesman also defended the President’s approach to national leadership, saying Tinubu had addressed concerns over the composition of the nation’s service chiefs while maintaining a unifying posture.

“There was a time, not so long ago, when the ethnic composition of the service chiefs was often a sore point for controversy, but in his true form as an architect of unity, balancing competence and patriotism, the President put an end to the concerns with wisdom”, he said.

He added that “President Tinubu, by his body language and extempore utterances, has maintained a nationalist and unifying position, bringing all together, and not given to divisive rhetoric. He has continued on the unifier’s path, stitching the national fabric, building a more cohesive nation and forging a shared future for us all”.

Responding to Obi’s criticism of the Renewed Hope Agenda, Nwabufo said the opposition candidate had failed to acknowledge what he described as visible gains from the administration’s reforms.

“Obi needs to get off the high of his rabid movement. The unmistakable trail of Renewed Hope shimmers across all villages, towns, cities, and local government areas in all six geopolitical zones”, he said.

He disclosed that members of the Presidential Communications Team had toured the country’s six geopolitical zones “to see things for themselves, feel the pulse of Nigerians, and conduit feedback to the government”.

Nwabufo added that the administration had documented evidence of economic improvements and transformative programmes, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and interventions by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

“If Obi cares, there’s a digital binder full of reports of Nigeria’s economic turnaround under the current administration, inclusive of many transformative projects, policies, and programmes, such as NELFUND, that are impacting Nigerians at the critical cellular level”, he said.

He concluded that “under Renewed Hope, that hardworking young trader in Amatutu village in Agulu, Anambra can now get support for his small business through SMEDAN, and that brilliant child in Mopa Muro can go to university through NELFUND without the constraints of finance. This is simply Renewed Hope manifest”.