Nigeria: Exclusive - Auto Dealer Reveals Details of Vehicle Purchases By Coup Suspect

What the report says

Premium Times, as republished by AllAfrica, reports new details from Nigeria’s ongoing investigation into an alleged failed 2025 coup. The article says an Abuja auto dealer told military investigators that a serving Army officer tied to the case bought six vehicles in late September 2025 for a total of N65 million, during what investigators consider a key period in the planning. The dealer, Ahmed Abdulganiyu of Arun G Motors in Lokogoma, said the purchases included Toyota Hilux trucks, Toyota Corolla cars and a Toyota Prado SUV.

According to the account cited in the report, the transaction began with a customer request relayed by a man named Aliyu, who was later accompanied by Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji. PREMIUM TIMES says the dealer’s statement is part of the prosecution file in the treason and money-laundering case being heard in Abuja. The report also says investigators believe Ma’aji was a central figure in the alleged plot and that former Bayelsa governor Timipre Sylva was identified by investigators as a possible financier, allegations both men have denied.

The article says payments of N46.5 million and N18.5 million were made on consecutive days, with additional smaller transfers later mentioned in the dealer’s statement. It adds that some of the vehicles were collected while two Corollas were reportedly left at the dealership. The report matters because it offers a rare look at the logistics and alleged funding trail being examined in court, though the defendants have denied the charges and the judge has not ruled on objections to their statements.