Former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, has shared why he ordered the execution of his childhood friend General Mamman Vatsa and other officers who allegedly plotted a coup in 1985 to unseat him (Babangida)
According to a Punch report, Babangida said intelligence reports showed that Vatsa had paid several officers to support the coup, including Lt-Col. Musa Bitiyong, who received N50,000. He stated that the coup plan included bombing the Eko Bridge in Lagos and destroying key Air Force assets. He said “Among the reported plans were the bombing of the Eko Bridge in Lagos and the sabotage of key Air Force assets”.
Babangida further stated that there were also plans to hijack or shoot down the presidential aircraft, which he described as a dangerous and reckless act that could have thrown Nigeria into chaos. He said “Intelligence revealed plans to hijack or shoot down the presidential aircraft. I felt a deep personal sense of betrayal”
Babangida said the coup plotters had to be executed to protect the country’s stability. He described Vatsa’s execution along with nine other officers in March 1986 as a personal loss but insisted that he had no choice. He stressed that the plot was a serious threat to national security, and his duty as Head of State required him to act decisively, even if it meant losing a longtime friend.
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