Kabir Yusuf

Mr Maina was convicted in November 2021 and sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment for money laundering offences.

The more than 40 coup plot suspects were captured in a covert intelligence operation coordinated by the Army Headquarters and the SSS.

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, EFCC, which successfully prosecuted Mr Maina for money laundering, was not even aware of the purchases.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the actor was hired to play the role of a propagandist by the alleged coupists who planned to assassinate top government officials.

The coup was initially scheduled for 29 May 2023 during the presidential inauguration, sources told this newspaper.

In a letter on Monday, Mr Maina’s lawyer, Emmanuel Ekwe, claimed the publication contains defamatory statements and threatened legal action within seven days unless the story is corrected, retracted, and an apology issued.

Drawing on his experiences as a journalist, governor’s aide, commissioner, and minister, Mr Abdullahi’s book provides an account of his two-decade journey through Nigerian politics, offering insights into government workings at the state and federal levels.