Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (retd.), has shed light on the controversial execution of his childhood friend, General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, in 1986 over an alleged coup plot.
In his recently published book, A Journey in Service, Babangida detailed the events leading up to Vatsa’s execution, describing the plot as a direct threat to national stability.
According to Babangida, when reports first emerged linking Vatsa to a coup attempt, he dismissed them as mere speculation.
“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, military intelligence reports and testimonies from officers close to Vatsa soon suggested otherwise. This led to an intensified investigation by senior military officials.
Babangida revealed that then-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Major General Mamman Vatsa, was accused of financing and coordinating a coup against his administration. Despite his initial denials, further investigations uncovered significant evidence.
“Nasko intervened and tried to find out the truth from Vatsa. Vatsa flatly denied it all, but covert investigations by the military and other intelligence services continued,” Babangida narrated.
He alleged that Vatsa had paid several officers to facilitate the coup, including Lt-Col. Musa Bitiyong, who reportedly received ₦50,000.
“Bitiyong admitted to receiving the money, and Vatsa also confirmed the payment but claimed it was meant for a farm project,” he added.
Babangida detailed the scale of the alleged coup, which reportedly included plans to sabotage key infrastructure.
“There was a plan to bomb strategic bridges in Lagos to cut off the Mainland from the Island and obstruct troop reinforcement. They also planned to sabotage the Air Force’s assets at the Makurdi air base. Another aspect involved hijacking or shooting down the president’s aircraft,” he stated.
Despite their long-standing friendship, Babangida maintained that the severity 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,” he asserted.
Reflecting on the execution, Babangida acknowledged the emotional toll but emphasized national security.
“Vatsa’s death was a personal loss. 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 also suggested that his relationship with Vatsa had long been marked by rivalry.
“With hindsight, 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,” he noted.
Following the execution, he stated that the incident was later politicized by various groups.
“Given my closeness to General Vatsa and the political interpretations that emerged after his trial and execution, it is not surprising that agents of subsequent political dispensations tried to weaponize the Vatsa coup as a political tool against us,” he said.
Babangida defended his decision as a matter of military principle.
“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,” he emphasized.
Vatsa and nine other conspirators were executed in March 1986. Babangida concluded that, despite the personal loss, the decision was necessary for the country’s stability.
“I had to choose between saving a friend’s life and securing the nation’s future,” he said