Why I executed Vatsa – IBB finally opens up

Former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.), has finally opened up about the details of the foiled coup, which was allegedly led by his childhood friend, General Mamman Vatsa.

According to IBB, he was forced to execute Vatsa, to safeguard Nigeria’s future.

He revealed this in his new autobiography, ‘A Journey of Service,’ which was launched on February 20.

IBB recounts how early warnings about Vatsa’s alleged plans reached him “as a series of rumours.”

According to the former military leader, he initially dismissed the rumours as unfounded jealousy of the close relationship they both shared since their youth. But he consulted fellow officers, including Generals Nasko, Garba Duba, and Wushishi.

IBB claims covert investigations by military and other intelligence agencies uncovered “incontrovertible evidence” that Vatsa had funded officers to facilitate the plot.

He wrote, “With our experience in the few months in government and the benefit of hindsight based on previous rumours, I determined that the best way to tackle the rumours about a possible Vatsa coup was by confronting the principal suspects.

“When the decibel of the stories rose too high, I confronted Vatsa himself after reporting the rumours to more senior colleagues like Generals Nasko, Garba Duba and Wushishi. Nasko intervened and tried to find out the truth from Vatsa. Vatsa flatly denied it all, but the covert investigations by the military and other intelligence services continued.

“Once substantial incontrovertible evidence was established, the arrests began. It turned out that Vatsa had paid several officers money to facilitate the coup operation. One of them was Lt-Col. Musa Bitiyong, who was given N50,000.

“He admitted it, and Vatsa also admitted the payment but said he wanted to help Bitiyong establish a farm project — the case of Lt-Col. Musa was not helped because he had previously been involved in other controversial coup stories.”

Once the military tribunal completed its review, Babangida said, “it was clear that the coup planners had to be executed.”

In March 1986, Vatsa and nine other co-conspirators were executed.

It is a decision IBB described as “a personal loss of a childhood friend”.

He wrote, “They had planned a bloody coup which would have plunged the country into darkness. I had to choose between saving a friend’s life and the nation’s future.

“Above all, everyone who had signed on to a military career understood clearly what it meant to plan a coup and fail. The penalty was clear and unmistakable.”