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Babangida’s autobiography, a reference book for criminals – Vatsa Family

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4 weeks ago

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General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida

Babangida’s autobiography, a reference book for criminals – Vatsa Family

The family of the late General Mamman Vatsa has claimed that military president Ibrahim Babangida’s autobiography, which was released to the public last week, was full of lies and could only be used as a reference book for criminals.

Vatsa and Babangida, both from Niger State, were childhood friends and confidants. In 1986, Babangida, the military head of state at the time, hanged Vatsa on charges of plotting a coup to overthrow his administration.

A Supreme Military Tribunal convicted Vatsa and his co-conspirators guilty of the coup plot and sentenced him to death by firing squad, a sentence Vatsa disputed and appealed.

However, before the appeal was heard, the Babangida junta ordered Vatsa’s execution by firing squad.

The Vatsa family responded to a claim in Babangida’s book that the late Vatsa’s assassination was legitimate since there was enough evidence linking him to the coup and his death was necessary to safeguard the country’s security.

Hon. Jonathan Vatsa, the family’s spokesperson and former commissioner for Information Culture and Tourism in Niger State, addressed reporters and responded to Babangida’s statements in the book, which have sparked controversy.

The younger Vatsa portrayed Babangida as a man who has lost out on honor matters due to the numerous lies contained in his memoirs.

According to Jonathan Vatsa, he opted not to comment until he had read the book, observing that the book was full of deceptions and distorted facts. Vatsa stated that Babangida’s book could not serve as reference material for the younger generations.

“It’s a collection of distorted facts called a book written by a man without identity, which cannot serve as a reference book for the younger generation but is a good reference book for criminal-minded people,” he said.

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Vatsa, who was also a former Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was almost drawn to tears while addressing the media in Minna, as he explained that ordinarily, the Vatsa family wouldn’t have joined issues with a man who, he said, “changed his identity just to belong to a certain ethnic group in the country,” emphasizing that “since Babangida has refused to allow the late General Vatsa to rest in peace after killing him, we will let him know that even in death, the late General Vatsa was a more honorable man because he had an identity and came from a home.”

Vatsa said Babangida acknowledged in his book that he changed the name Badamosi to Babangida so that people would know he came from the north, saying, “Where did he get the name Badamosi from in the first place, because northerners do not bear the name Badamosi? That name is synonymous with people from the Southwest.

“A man who denied his tribe and identity is not fit to live.”

He went on to say that the numerous lies in Babangida’s book demonstrated that “he is not the genius the Nigerian media created for him, rather, “a lily-livered” general for annulling the June 12 election and failing to retire the late General Sani Abacha for fear of being killed by the Abacha loyalists in the army, as he claimed in his book.”

“How can he lie that it was Abacha who annulled the June 12 election if he was in control as the head of state? He equally admitted that the military was heavily politicized, and because of that, he couldn’t retire Abacha for fear of being killed by Abacha loyalists in the army,” he said.

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Vatsa maintained that those who advised Babangida to write what he termed “the bunch of lies and blackmails called autobiography” had further harmed his already battered image, adding that “it was better for him to have kept silent than dishing out the chunks of lies and deceit far from the truth about yourself as a human being.

“Unfortunately, the man he accused of annulling the June 12 election and all the actors in the June 12 controversy are no more today to tell their own side of the story, and that is why no serious-minded individual should take the book seriously.

“This is the man that had earlier said he would not write any book because, according to him, there are people he cannot resist abusing and that he wouldn’t want to hurt their children and grandchildren, but what has he done now? This is a lack of emotional stability.

“Even in death, Babangida has refused to allow late General Vatsa and his family to rest in peace. He 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 show that the killing of the late General Vatsa was done out of envy, malice, and hatred. It was a case of a man with a root and identity versus someone who has no root and a second name.”

The Niger State APC Chieftain, while expressing regret for the cream of individuals that assembled for the book launch, pointed out that the country called Nigeria was a tremendous joke, “a country where people who call themselves leaders act before they think. No reasonable Nigerian who is benefiting from the current democratic system, which Abiola struggled and eventually died for, should have donated towards this revelation of evil done to Nigeria and Nigerians called an autobiography.

“This has further confirmed why some Nigerians, in their opinions, believe that this country is not worth dying for. If not, how can we as a people gather to celebrate the evil done to a nation by an individual?” Vatsa queried.

He recalled that the late General Vatsa informed the then-military tribunal that tried him that the day the Nigerian Army started mocking itself, others would join; thus, through this book, Babangida ridiculed himself, and others would join.

Babangida’s autobiography, a reference book for criminals – Vatsa Family

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Reps pass bill to strip Vice President, governors, deputies of immunity

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12 hours ago

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March 26, 2025

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House of Representatives

Reps pass bill to strip Vice President, governors, deputies of immunity

The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed for second reading a constitutional amendment bill seeking to remove the immunity conferred on the Vice President, Governors and their Deputies.

The lawmaker said the move is to curb corruption, curb immunity, eradicate impunity and enhance accountability in public office.

The constitutional amendment Bill sponsored by Solomon Bob (PDP, Rivers) reads: “A Bill for an act to alter the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to qualify the immunity conferred on the President, remove the immunity conferred on the Vice President, the Governors and their Deputies, in order to curb corruption, eradicate impunity and enhance accountability in public office and for Related Matters”.

Section 308 of the constitution confers immunity on the President, Vice President, Governors and their deputies, exempting them from criminal and civil prosecution while in office.

The House also passed for second reading, a constitutional amendment Bill to create a constitutional role for traditional rulers, while providing for the recognition of the advisory role for them in the constitution.

The two bills are part of the 42 on devolution of power, strengthening of institutions, state creation, traditional rulers citizenship, fundamental rights and objectives and local government passed by the House.

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On Tuesday, the House passed 39 constitutional alteration bills for second reading.

While passing a bill to provide for stronger measures and checks for the sustenance of autonomy of local government system in the country, it also passed for second reading another constitutional alteration bill seeking to remove local government as a tier of government constitutionally recognised and funded by the Federal Government.

The second bill sponsored by Solomon Bob (PDP, Rivers) seeks to vest the creation and funding of local government on the states.

The House is also seeking to amend the constitution to review the framework for local government administration, establish a robust legal legal regime to strengthen administrative efficiency, promote transparency, accountability and deepen democratic practice in the local government.

On state creation, The Nation observed that a bill for the creation of Etiti State from the five South eastern States was again read for the second time even though similar bill was passed for second reading.

The bill for the creation of Etiti state sponsored by Amobi Ogah and four others was first passed for first reading on the July 11,  2025 while a second bill on the same subject matter sponsored by Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinobi was listed and passed for second reading on Tuesday.

Reps pass bill to strip Vice President, governors, deputies of immunity

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Businessman collapses in court during trial over $578,000 cash seizure

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13 hours ago

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March 26, 2025

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Businessman collapses in court during trial over $578,000 cash seizure

A businessman, Okorie Sunday, who was arrested on March 19 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with $578,000 in cash, collapsed in court during his trial on Wednesday, March 26.

Okorie appeared before the Federal High Court in Lagos, where his trial commenced at 8:30 AM. However, he collapsed just as the court registrar was about to re-read the charges against him.

Court officials and security personnel rushed to his aid, and proceedings were briefly halted.

Previously on Tuesday, Okorie had been arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on four counts related to money laundering and a currency scam.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment before Justice Deinde Dipeolu.

After a brief agreement from both parties for a swift trial, Okorie was remanded in custody and the case was adjourned to Wednesday.

During the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Okorie’s lawyer, Uche Okoronkwo, informed the court that his client wished to change his plea from not guilty to guilty.

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The EFCC’s counsel, Chineye Okezie, confirmed that Okorie indeed wanted to plead guilty to the first two counts, and requested the withdrawal of the third and fourth counts. Justice Dipeolu agreed to the request and directed that the charges be re-read.

However, as the registrar began to read the charges, Okorie collapsed without warning. His wife and daughter, who were present in the courtroom, were visibly distraught, with both of them breaking into tears.

At the time of writing this report, Okorie had been rushed to a hospital for medical attention, and the proceedings were temporarily halted.

The arrest took place when Okorie arrived in Lagos from Johannesburg aboard South African Airways Flight SA60 on March 19.

Initially, he declared only $279,000 at the airport’s currency declaration desk. However, a routine search revealed an additional $299,000 concealed in multiple packages, bringing the total sum to $578,000.

Authorities also discovered €100 and a counterfeit $250 note among the undeclared funds.

The EFCC charged Okorie with violating Sections 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Sections 3(1)(a), 5(1)(b), and (2) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Businessman collapses in court during trial over $578,000 cash seizure

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Fire guts Onitsha market, many shops, goods destroyed

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13 hours ago

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March 26, 2025

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Fire guts Onitsha market, many shops, goods destroyed

A night fire at the popular Iweka Road, near Ochanja market in Onitsha, Anambra State, destroyed shops and products worth millions of naira.

Our correspondent reported that the fire, which erupted at 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday, destroyed many shops, reducing products and property to ashes.

Although the source of the fire has yet to be determined, it was said that it raged for several minutes before firefighters arrived, as some of the dealers had gone home.

Confirming the fire incident on Wednesday, the Anambra State Fire Service’s Media and Publicity Unit, commanded by state fire chief Chukwudi Chiketa, said it received a distress call at around 9.40 p.m. and quickly dispatched a crew of firefighters and firefighting equipment to the location.

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Chiketa said, “Anambra State Fire Service at about 9.40pm on Tuesday, March 25, received a distress call about a raging fire outbreak at the popular Iweka Road, close to Ochanja Market, Onitsha.

“Immediately, a crew of firemen and firefighting equipment was deployed to the scene of the fire outbreak. They fought gallantly and contained the incident, stopping the fire from further escalation.

“The incident affected four shops, and many others were saved in a two-storey building. These shops contained furniture materials such as leather, foam and others.

“The cause of the fire outbreak has not been ascertained. The crew of firemen withdrew from the incident’s scene at 03:05 (3.05am) of the next day, Wednesday 26th March.”

 

Fire guts Onitsha market, many shops, goods destroyed

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