Why I Executed My Childhood Friend, Mamman Vatsa – IBB

Former Nigerian military ruler, Ibrahim Babangida, has defended the controversial execution of his childhood friend, Mamman Vatsa, who was convicted of plotting a coup against his regime in 1986.

In his newly released autobiography, *Journey in Service*, Mr. Babangida claimed that Mr. Vatsa had long harbored jealousy towards him, a sentiment that he said persisted from their teenage years into their military careers. Despite their close relationship, the former leader insisted that national interest had to take precedence over personal ties.

“I appointed General Vatsa as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory even though he was not part of the change of government that ousted General Buhari. Yet I remained true to our friendship and bent backwards to accommodate his excesses and boisterousness,” Mr. Babangida wrote.

He recounted that their relationship had always been marked by what he described as Mr. Vatsa’s “peer jealousy.” From their school days, Mr. Babangida said his friend often downplayed his achievements, even refusing to acknowledge his authority as head boy. This competitive tension, he claimed, extended into their time in the military, where he believed Mr. Vatsa resented his rapid career progression.

The former leader, widely known as *Maradona* for his political maneuvers, described feeling deeply betrayed when an investigation confirmed that Mr. Vatsa had been actively involved in planning a coup. Mr. Babangida justified the execution of Mr. Vatsa and nine others, asserting that their actions could have thrown Nigeria into chaos.

“Vatsa and his nine other co-conspirators were executed in March 1986. 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,” Mr. Babangida stated.

More than three decades after the execution, it remains one of the most heavily criticized decisions of Mr. Babangida’s military rule. The release of his autobiography has reignited debates about his legacy, particularly his role in the annulment of the historic June 12, 1993, presidential election, which he acknowledged was won by Moshood Abiola of the Social Democratic Party.

The book launch has also sparked backlash from critics, including human rights activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore. Mr. Sowore ridiculed the book’s title, suggesting it should be renamed *Journey in Criminality* instead of *Journey in Service*.

“A Journey in Criminality — This is a better title!” Mr. Sowore wrote in a Facebook post, sharing an altered image of the book’s cover. In a follow-up post, he asserted that Mr. Babangida and his associates should face a proper treason trial and be sentenced to life imprisonment.