Former military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has described the involvement of his late childhood friend, Major-General Mamman Jiya Vatsa in the aborted coup of 1986 as surprising.
The Late General Vatsa, who until his death, was the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was executed on March 5, 1986, on the approval of the Armed Forces Ruling Council headed by General Babangida following a military Tribunal that convicted him for treason associated with an abortive coup.
Vatsa, who was a poet was also an author of many books and a member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council.
General Babangida (rtd), in an interview with Trust TV, said his childhood friendship with Mamman Vatsa made it hard for him to believe his involvement in the abortive coup.
Babangida said; ‘’Let me tell you something. We had a situation when the Vatsa coup was about to unfold. He, Vatsa, knew that he was being mentioned as one of the chaps and he wasn’t comfortable, so he decided to come and confront me to say that “Why did you hear this and you didn’t call me to find out from me?
“He wanted to put a witness so, he invited General Nasko to come with him. Two of them came and he said I want to see you. That was what Mamman Vatsa told me. Two of us and I said fine, let’s go to the office. We went to the office, we sat down and Vatsa said exactly what I told you.
“There were rumours that I was involved in it and I didn’t call him to talk to him about it. So, I looked at him and I said dan’uwa, the man you brought was also rumoured that he is one of the people but I didn’t bother to ask him or to ask you because I knew both of you.
“We grew up together since we were kids and why should I cast doubt on anyone of you? Nasko was just knowing. That was the first time he was knowing his name was being flown around. I said, I trusted you. There is no way I could get to hear this to say ah, no, forget it, he is my friend. I don’t think he can do that to me and that was how I killed that rumour at the initial stage.
“It was when the persistence of the intelligence report and happenings and so on began to show themselves, that I decided that it was no longer a joke and I felt a bit bad because I trusted him a lot and to find myself now confronted with this situation.
“It really shocked me and there is nothing I could do but to allow the process to continue and that was what happened,” IBB said.
