Military investigators probing the alleged September 2025 coup plot against President Bola Tinubu’s administration say suspects used WhatsApp and a privacy-focused messaging application, Zangi, to coordinate communications.
Documents filed as part of the proof of evidence in ongoing trials show that electronic communications have become central to reconstructing the alleged conspiracy and establishing the roles of individual suspects, Premium Times reported.
Zangi, though less popular than WhatsApp in Nigeria, markets itself on privacy and security. The company says it protects communications with end-to-end encryption, stores users’ communication histories on their devices rather than its servers, and allows registration without a mobile number.
Retired Navy Captain Erasmus Victor, one of six defendants standing trial on 13 counts including treason at the Federal High Court, Abuja, told investigators in an extrajudicial statement that Army Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, a central figure in the alleged conspiracy, introduced him to Zangi because he considered it more secure than regular phone communication.
Victor said he downloaded the app specifically to communicate with Ma’aji and Lieutenant Colonel Shamsuddeen Bappah, an officer of the Nigerian Army Signals Corps also named in the investigation.
The retired naval officer denied taking part in the alleged plot. Investigators claimed he was assigned to approach potential financiers, including Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, to secure support for the plan. Victor, who chaired Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State between 2018 and 2021 under Wike’s governorship, said he never contacted the minister or anyone else he was allegedly asked to approach.
He said he did not take the purported coup discussions seriously, though he expressed regret at not reporting them to authorities.
Investigation records submitted in the case include printouts of electronic messages allegedly exchanged among suspects, part of thousands of pages of evidence gathered since the alleged conspiracy was uncovered in September 2025.
Investigators note that encryption does not necessarily place communications beyond reach, as it primarily protects messages in transit; information may still remain on devices, depending on the app, device settings and other factors. Investigators examining such devices may seek relevant conversations, contacts, files and other records through applicable legal procedures.
Beyond electronic communications, investigators have also examined financial transactions, meetings, movements and witness statements in building their case.
Several military personnel face proceedings before a General Court Martial, while Victor and five co-defendants are being prosecuted before the Federal High Court in Abuja. They have denied wrongdoing and challenged the admissibility of their extrajudicial statements, alleging the statements were obtained without required legal safeguards. The prosecution maintains the statements were lawfully obtained and should be admitted.
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