Former Military President General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has spoken publicly for the first time in detail about the 1985 coup plot that led to the execution of his childhood friend, General Mamman Jiya Vatsa. Speaking during a special broadcast to mark his 85th birthday, Babangida said the law left him powerless to intervene once Vatsa’s involvement was confirmed.
The two men shared more than a military career. Babangida recalled that he and Vatsa grew up together in Bida, attended Bida Middle School, now Government College Bida, and graduated in the same year. They later enlisted in the Nigerian Army together, a bond that made the allegations hard to accept at first.
During the programme aired on Baddegi 901 FM, Babangida said a senior military officer first alerted him to rumors linking Vatsa and fellow officer General Mohammed Gado Nasko to a planned coup against his administration. The information, he said, came as a shock given his personal history with both men. 
He acted quickly. Both officers were summoned to his office where he confronted them directly about the allegations. According to Babangida, Vatsa and Nasko denied any role in the plot during that meeting.
A military commission of inquiry was later set up to investigate. The panel cleared Nasko of any involvement. The same investigation, however, concluded that Vatsa was linked to the aborted coup attempt.
Babangida described his reaction when the findings were presented to him. He said he felt shocked, devastated and deeply disappointed. Losing a friend he had known since childhood made the outcome even more painful.
He explained that military law at the time offered no room for discretion. “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,” Babangida said. “That was how I lost my brother General Mamman Vatsa.”
Babangida turns 85 on Monday, August 17, 2026. Activities to mark the milestone include special prayers scheduled at his Uphill residence in Minna.
