IBB Defends Executing Childhood Friend, Family Demands Restitution
Former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), has revealed details of the foiled coup allegedly led by his childhood friend, General Mamman Vatsa, which he says compelled him to choose between preserving a longstanding personal bond and safeguarding the nation’s future.
In excerpts from his autobiography, ‘A Journey of Service,’ launched on February 20, 2025, Babangida recounts how early warnings about Vatsa’s alleged plans reached him “as a series of rumours.”
In Chapter 10 titled, ‘The Challenges of Leadership,’ the former military leader said though he initially dismissed the rumours as unfounded jealousy of the close relationship they bothshared since their youth, he consulted fellow officers, including Generals Nasko, Garba Duba, and Wushishi.
Subsequent covert investigations by military and other intelligence agencies, he explained, uncovered “incontrovertible evidence” that Vatsa had funded officers to facilitate the plot.
