An Abuja-based car dealer has told military investigators that an Army officer accused of masterminding the alleged 2025 coup plot purchased six vehicles worth ₦65 million during what investigators described as the height of preparations for the suspected operation.

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The dealer, Ahmed Abdulganiyu, Chief Executive Officer of Arun G Motors in Lokogoma, Abuja, made the disclosure in an extrajudicial statement obtained during the investigation into the alleged attempt to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration. According to court documents cited by Premium Times, the transaction forms part of the prosecution’s evidence in the ongoing trial of military officers and civilians facing charges including treason and money laundering before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Abdulganiyu told investigators that the transaction began on September 26, 2025, after a man identified as Aliyu contacted him on behalf of his superior, later identified as Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji. He said Ma’aji subsequently visited his dealership, requesting the purchase of six vehicles comprising three Toyota Hilux trucks, one Toyota Prado SUV and two Toyota Corolla cars. Because his dealership did not have all the requested vehicles, Abdulganiyu said he accompanied the buyers to other car dealers in Abuja to complete the purchase.

According to the dealer, the first payment of ₦46.5 million was credited to his Access Bank account on September 27, 2025, while a second payment of ₦18.5 million was transferred the following day into the Access Bank account of his associate, Christopher Elube, bringing the total transaction value to ₦65 million.

He stated that shortly after the second payment was confirmed, an unidentified man arrived at the dealership and drove away with the three Toyota Hilux trucks and the Toyota Prado, while the two Toyota Corolla vehicles remained at the dealership and have never been collected.

“Immediately he made a transfer of ₦18.5 million, a man came and took three Toyota Hilux with one Prado and left two Corollas behind. Up till now they have not come to carry the Corollas,” Abdulganiyu stated.

Investigators said the dates and amounts of the payments corresponded with financial records obtained from a Bureau de Change operator allegedly used to distribute funds to individuals linked to the suspected coup network. The BDC operator reportedly identified the ₦46.5 million and ₦18.5 million transfers as payments made on the instructions of Colonel Ma’aji. While investigators acknowledged that the financial records did not directly establish that the vehicles were intended for the alleged coup, they noted that the purchases coincided with a period of significant financial disbursements to persons and entities connected to the investigation.

Abdulganiyu further disclosed that he later transferred ₦700,000 to Aliyu after receiving approval from Ma’aji and subsequently received another ₦300,000 from the officer for the installation of a compressed natural gas (CNG) system in one of the Toyota Corolla vehicles. He told investigators that receipts for the transfers and vehicle purchases were attached to his statement.

The dealer also recalled that months after the transaction, a military officer identified as Lieutenant Colonel John visited his dealership to inform him that the vehicles had become part of an ongoing military investigation.

Investigators have identified Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, a 50-year-old officer of the Defence Space Administration from Niger State, as one of the principal suspects in the alleged coup plot. They alleged that Ma’aji presented the plan to former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, whom they described as the alleged principal financier of the conspiracy.

Sylva has consistently denied any involvement. In October 2025, his spokesperson described him as a committed democrat with no connection to any coup plot or its logistics. Although authorities have obtained an interim forfeiture order covering nine Abuja properties allegedly linked to him, Sylva has not been charged in the case.

The Federal High Court is currently trying six defendants on a 13-count charge bordering on treason, money laundering and related offences, while several serving military officers are also facing trial before a General Court Martial. The defendants have denied all allegations and are challenging the admissibility of the prosecution’s extrajudicial statements and video recordings, arguing that they were obtained without complying with required legal safeguards. The prosecution insists the evidence was lawfully obtained, while the court is yet to rule on its admissibility.