The recently published book of the former military Head of State, Gen. Mamman Jiya Vatsa, was characterized by his family as “a collection of distorted facts” and “a good reference material for criminals.” Vatsa was executed in 1986 for allegedly planning a coup against Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, IBB.
Speaking to reporters in Minna on Tuesday, Jonathan Vatsa, the family’s spokesperson and the late General’s cousin, expressed indignation at Babangida’s assertion that Vatsa’s murder was warranted because of evidence linking him to a coup.
“General babangida is a man that has lost in the affairs of honor over the many lies contained in his belated autobiography book.
“Babangida’s book is a bunch of lies and blackmails. It’s a collection of distorted facts that cannot be a reference book for young and upcoming generations but rather for criminals,” Jonathan Vatsa said.
He raised doubts about Babangida’s identification by pointing out that he had admitted to changing his name from Badamosi to Babangida in order to identify with the northern area.
According to Vatsa, the appellation “Badamosi” is synonymous with the South-West people and is not used by Northerners.
Babangida was accused of lying by the former Niger State APC publicity secretary, who claimed that Babangida, not General Sani Abacha, made the decision to cancel the June 12 poll.
“How can he lie that Abacha annulled the election when he was in control as Head of State?
“Unfortunately the man he accused of annulling the June 12 and all the actors in the June 12 controversy are no more today to tell their own story and that is why no serious minded individual should take the book serious,” the spokesperson for the Vatsa family added.
He also bemoaned Babangida’s refusal to grant the late General Vatsa and his family peace even after his passing.
“IBB is still troubling the dead man and his entire family. Well people have seen the end of our brother, but Babangida doesn’t know how he will end.
“Our joy is that the reactions of Nigerians after the so-called book presentation shows that the killing of late General Vatsa was done out of envy, malice and hatred.”
