Ex-Military President Babangida recounts late Mamman Vatsa’s involvement in 1985 coup, he couldn’t save him

The ex-Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, said that there was nothing he could do to save General Mamman Jiya Vatsa from his alleged involvement in the coup to topple his administration in 1985.

He said when it was rumoured that General Mamman Vatsa was involved in the alleged coup, he could not believe it, arguing that it was rumour because he trusted General Mamman Vatsa as his childhood friend that they grew up together.

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Babangida who was speaking in a special programme anchored by Baddegi 901 FM station as part of an event to commemorate his 85th birthday ceremony and monitored in Minna, stated that he was dumbfounded to believe that Vatsa could participate in a coup to overthrow his administration.

Babangida 85th birthday is slated to take place on Monday, the 17th of August, 2026 with special prayers at his Uphill residence in Minna.

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According to the former Military leader, when rumours of General Mamman Vatsa alleged involvement in the 1985 coup was reported to him by a senior Military officer, he was short of words and hard to believe it.

”Because we were childhood friends, we all grew up together and attended the same Bida Middle School together now Government College Bida, and graduated the same year and joined the Military together, then how could I believe that he will plan a coup against me”? he argued.

The ex-leader further disclosed that the rumour was that Vatsa along with General Mohammed Gado Nasko were alleged to have been mentioned in the planned coup at this point, according to him he quickly put a call to both of them to meet him in his office.

“When they arrived, I asked them that it was rumoured that you people were mentioned to be involved in the coup to topple me. How true are the rumours? They both denied their alleged involvement in the allegations” the former military leader stated.

During the investigations by the Military commission of inquiry, General Mohammed Gado Nasko was exonerated by the panel constituted to investigate coup allegations but General Vatsa involvement in the coup planned was real.

He further recalled that when it was finally confirmed that investigations revealed the involvement of General Mamman Vatsa in the aborted coup,” honestly I became shocked and devastated and became disorganized and disappointed.

“There is nothing I can do to exonerate him from the already existing consequence of the coup plot in the Military law. My hands were tied. That was how I lost my brother General Mamman Vatsa”, he added.

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