Sylva’s residences in Abuja were recently searched by
investigators, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Julius Bokoru, his special assistant on media and public
affairs, has denied reports linking the former minister of state for petroleum
resources to the botched coup.

In a statement, Bokoru described Sylva as “an unrepentant
and thoroughbred democrat” who has consistently supported President Bola
Tinubu.

Ma’aji, who is said to be “very close” to Sylva, coordinated
security for the former governor in the December 5, 2015 election.

Sylva, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress
(APC), polled 86,852 votes, losing to Seriake Dickson, candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 134,998 votes.

He previously led Bayelsa state as a PDP governor between
2007 and 2012, with his first election cancelled in 2008 by a tribunal.

He won a fresh election and did one term before he was
denied a second term ticket by the party, with Dickson preferred to him.

‘MA’AJI KEEPING MUM’

It is still unclear to investigators if Ma’aji was the
mastermind of the foiled coup, but he is believed to have played a central
role.

His major role, it was alleged, was to recruit junior
officers.

But he is also accused of providing the funds and logistics,
fuelling speculation that he might have been bankrolled by a politician or
politicians with significant war chest.

Ma’aji served in the oil-rich Niger Delta region for years.

TheCable understands that he has refused to co-operate with
investigators so far, preferring to keep mum on all the allegations.

Officers junior to him have made “significant statements” to
the special investigative panel set up by the military authorities.

Forensics have been conducted on Ma’aji and his wife, with
their Abuja house searched by the investigators.

A throve of information has reportedly been unearthed on the
couple’s accounts and a number of landed property, military sources told
TheCable.

Ma’aji, sitting in the middle of the front row in army uniform, was the president of Course 21 at NIPSS, Kuru

WHO IS MOHAMMED MA’AJI?

Not much is known about the army officer from Niger state.

Ma’aji, born in 1976 to Nupe parents, was a member of
regular course 47 of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

TheCable understands that he was commissioned in 2000 as a
second lieutenant, rising through the ranks to become a colonel in 2017 after
attending the Policy, Strategy and Leadership Course (PSLC) at the National
Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau state.

Ma’aji served as commanding officer (CO) of the 19 Battalion
in Okitipupa, Ondo state, before was posted to Koko, headquarters of Warri
North LGA, Delta state, in 2017.

In January 2021, he became the CO of Delta Safe following a
transfer from the Depot, Nigerian Army, in Zaria.