BREAKING: Vatsa family slams IBB’s memoir, calls it ‘reference material for criminals’
The family of the late General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, executed in 1986 for allegedly plotting a coup against then-military Head of State Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) has fiercely criticized Babangida’s recently released memoir, branding it “a collection of distorted facts” and “a good reference material for criminals.”
Speaking to journalists in Minna on Tuesday, Jonathan Vatsa, the family’s spokesperson and cousin to the late general, didn’t mince words. He accused Babangida of fabricating stories to justify the execution of Vatsa, a move still widely debated and shrouded in controversy.
“General Babangida is a man who has lost his sense of honor over the many lies contained in his belated autobiography,” Jonathan Vatsa said, his voice heavy with emotion. “This book is nothing but blackmail — a collection of distorted facts. It cannot serve as a reference for future generations, only for criminals.”
The family spokesman went further, questioning Babangida’s identity and his credibility. He cited the former military leader’s admission of changing his name from Badamosi to Babangida, claiming it was an attempt to align with northern Nigeria.
“Northerners don’t bear the name Badamosi; it’s synonymous with the South-West,” Vatsa stated, hinting at a deeper identity crisis he believes Babangida is trying to mask.
Jonathan Vatsa also accused Babangida of twisting facts about the annulment of the historic June 12, 1993, election, which remains one of Nigeria’s most controversial political events.
“How can he claim that Sani Abacha annulled the election when Babangida was the one in control as Head of State?” Vatsa questioned. “Unfortunately, the people he’s blaming — Abacha and the other actors in the June 12 saga — are no longer here to tell their side of the story. And that’s why no serious-minded individual should take this book seriously.”
But perhaps the most painful part of the Vatsa family’s outrage is the belief that even in death, their loved one has not been allowed to rest.
