By correspondent in Minna.
Jonathan Vatsa.
The family of the late former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, has criticized retired General Kunle Togun and others involved in implicating him in the 1986 coup plot, urging them to allow his soul to rest in peace.
Their response follows Togun’s recent interview, where he alleged that Vatsa was indeed part of the conspiracy to overthrow the then-Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB).
The family dismissed the claim as baseless, likening it to the unsubstantiated narratives contained in Babangida’s memoir, The Journey of Service.
Speaking on behalf of the family, former Niger State Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, Jonathan Tsado Vatsa, described Togun’s account as a fabrication intended to sustain the falsehoods used to justify Vatsa’s execution.
He questioned how Vatsa, who commanded no troops, could have orchestrated a coup, especially when most of the accused were Air Force officers.
Togun, who served as a military intelligence officer during the Babangida regime, had claimed in a media interview that there was substantial evidence linking Vatsa to the coup and urged Nigerians to stop being sentimental about the case.
He also recalled warning Babangida against appointing Vatsa as a minister, comparing him to the late Brigadier General Iliya Bisalla, who was executed for his role in the 1976 coup that led to the assassination of General Murtala Mohammed.
In response, the Vatsa family expressed outrage, arguing that those who orchestrated his execution have been haunted by their actions.
“It is clear that the spirit of Mamman Vatsa has refused to let those who conspired against him rest. That is why they keep coming up with all sorts of lies to justify their evil acts,”the family said.
“They referenced the words of the late General Domkat Bali, who admitted there was insufficient evidence to justify Vatsa’s execution.
“We are consoled by the fact that respected figures in the military, such as General Bali, have confirmed that our brother’s killing was unjust,” the family added.
Jonathan, who is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a Special Adviser to the Niger State Governor, said the family had accepted their loss but warned that those responsible for his brother’s death should reflect on their own mortality.
“The world saw the end of General Mamman Vatsa, but many do not know how they will end,” he said, adding that “it is high time they let him rest in peace,if they themselves wish to live forever.”
The family strongly criticized Babangida’s book, arguing that it misrepresented historical facts to justify the killing of an officer who had no command over troops.
“Togun is only trying to lend credibility to a worthless book that has already been discredited by many Nigerians,” the statement read.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
