Babangida disclosed that ordering the execution of his childhood friend, Mamman Vatsa, was one of the toughest decisions he made as a soldier.
Vatsa was accused of plotting a coup against Babangida’s government in 1985 and was executed on March 5, 1986, after a military tribunal convicted him of treason.
Emelonye shared this revelation in a recent interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo.
He said, “I asked Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida about the Mamman Vatsa’s story and his answer was, Mamman Vatsa was his classmate at Bida secondary school and also his coursemate at the Nigerian military school. So, they were very close and they rose through the ranks after the [civil] war.
“As a matter of fact, after his accident when he was shot at the Nigerian civil war in Umuahia, it was Mamman Vatsa who took over his command when he was in hospital. They’ve been close from that time and when IBB became President, he made Mamman Vatsa the FCT Minister. That showed trust and compensation for his loyalty.
“But in military politics, if you hear about a coup and you don’t report it, you are as guilty as the people who planned it.
“So, there was a coup plan against IBB where they did not just want to kill him at Dodan Barracks but also burn down the barracks with his family. Mamman Vatsa caught wind of it and he didn’t tell his friend. He wasn’t part of the planning but the tribunal found him guilty.
“The case now became, is Babangida going to put friendship above military tradition and what precedence does that set with his other close friends? He was conflicted. He said ordering the killing of his friend was the most difficult thing he had to do as a soldier. But he had to do it because if anybody betrayed anybody, it was Vatsa that betrayed him.
“I also met with Mamman Vatsa’s family, they shared with me their frustrations and I gave them this perspective also. Anybody can say for sure if Mamman Vatsa did not know about the coup because that was the basis upon which he was convicted.”
Mamman Vatsa was executed on 5 March 1986 by the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida (who was his childhood friend) following a military tribunal conviction for treason associated with an abortive coup.
Emelonye’s film, ‘Badamasi: Portrait of a General’, offers a glimpse into Babangida’s life and career, including his time as Nigeria’s head of state. The film is a biopic that explores Babangida’s experiences, decisions, and legacy. Emelonye’s conversation with Babangida provides a unique perspective on the former head of state’s life and reign.
