By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (retd.), has revealed the reasons behind the execution of his childhood friend, General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, for allegedly plotting a coup against his administration in 1986.
In his book, ‘A Journey in Service,’ Babangida detailed the events leading up to Vatsa’s execution, describing the coup attempt as a grave threat to national stability.
Babangida recounted that initial reports of a coup plot involving Vatsa were dismissed as mere rumours. “At first, I dismissed it as the handiwork of people who were envious of the cordial relationship between Vatsa and me over the years,” he wrote.
However, he said military intelligence and testimonies from officers close to Vatsa began to paint a different picture.
The former president explained that concerns grew among senior military officers, prompting investigations.
“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,” he narrated.
According to Babangida, deeper investigations uncovered extensive plans, including bribing officers to facilitate the coup.
“Vatsa had paid several officers money to facilitate the coup operation. One of them was Lt-Col. Musa Bitiyong, who was given ₦50,000. He admitted it, and Vatsa also admitted the payment but said he wanted to help Bitiyong establish a farm project,” he explained further.
The plot, as described in Babangida’s account, was elaborate and dangerous. “There was a plan, for instance, to bomb strategic bridges in Lagos to cut off the Mainland from the Island and obstruct troop reinforcement. There were also plans to sabotage the air assets of the Air Force using the Makurdi air base. Other aspects included a plan to hijack or shoot down the president’s aircraft,” he added.
Babangida stated that despite their long-standing friendship, the consequences of the coup attempt left no room for leniency.
“Once the investigations were concluded and the panel reached its verdict, it was clear that the coup planners had to be executed.”Reflecting on his emotions at the time, he acknowledged the personal loss but emphasised national security.
“Vatsa’s death was a personal loss of a childhood friend. As a human being, I was somewhat depressed to watch him die in such circumstances. However, the nation’s stability and the cohesion of the armed forces were too high on the scale of priorities to be sacrificed for personal considerations,” he said.
Babangida further noted that he was not surprised by Vatsa’s involvement, stating that their relationship had been marked by rivalry.
“With the benefit of hindsight now, I recall that a constant part of our relationship as teenagers and young men was a continuous and recurrent peer jealousy on his part towards me.”
Following the execution, Babangida noted that the incident was later used for political propaganda.
“Given my closeness to General Vatsa and the political interpretations that emerged about his coup plot after his trial and execution, it is not surprising that agents of subsequent political dispensations tried to weaponise the Vatsa coup as a political tool against us.”
Despite the controversies, Babangida insisted that his decision was based on military principles.
“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.”
Vatsa and nine other conspirators were executed in March 1986.
Babangida concluded that the decision, though painful, was necessary to preserve national order. “I had to choose between saving a friend’s life and the nation’s future.”
Source: PM News
