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To get the full gist of how it all went down, get this book, SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE..

A very good book.
I have it, lemme know if u want it.

@uyi168, I am interested in reading the book please. Thank you.

Two traitors...one betrayed his friend by attempting a coup while still wining and dining with him...the other brutally killed his friend. Judas' wannabes.

rennylaw:
@uyi168, I am interested in reading the book please. Thank you.

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Your email, or whatsapp contact

So vatsa was a christain?

Uyi168:
To get the full gist of how it all went down, get this book, SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE..

A very good book.
I have it, lemme know if u want it.

Please would love to get it too
ferdinco@yahoo.com

ifenasa@gmail.com

Uyi168:
..
Your email, or whatsapp contact

Many thanks for this prompt response Uyi.

My email address is renny2all@yahoo.com.

rennylaw:
Many thanks for this prompt response Uyi.

My email address is renny2all@yahoo.com.

..
Are u sure the email is valid!?
Lemme have your whatsapp contact..

Uyi168:
..
Are u sure the email is valid!?
Lemme have your whatsapp contact..

Got your email.

Thanks a lot

V7place:
Mamman Vatsa was a soldier and a poet; a published poet in fact whose books were popular in primary schools. He was executed for leading the attempt to overthrow the government of his one time best friend ( yes best friend) and Military President Ibrahim Babangida. Why Major General Vatsa did not escape is beyond understanding.

It was on Friday December 20th 1985 that it was announced a coup to overthrow the government had been nipped in the bud. No further announcements were made that, but Vatsa was still a free man that Friday night. Infact he was a free man till Monday night when he was arrested at his Ikoyi, Lagos residence. Many people could not understand why he had not escaped out of the country.

According to his wife Sufiya, Armed men led by IBB's late ADC ( who would late be killed in the 1990 Orkar Coup) surrounded their house on Monday December 23rd and arrested the General.

The arrest of Vatsa the Minister of the Federal Capital Terrority , Abuja was not announced until a week after the coup was made public.

Ibrahim Babangida had been the best man at Mamman Vatsa’s wedding in 1960s and they had been friends most of their lives. But for some reason; Babangida had not involved Vatsa in the palace coup that overthrew the government of Mohammdu Buhari/Tunde Idiagbon. Vatsa had actually been on the Federal Government delegation to the Haji in Saudi Arabia. A delegation that was led by the strongman Major General Tunde Idiagbon. That trip according to historians had the hands of IBB in it; he did everything to ensure it was led by Idiagbon as he knew there was NO WAY Idiagbon would surrender to coupists without a gun fight.

After the IBB coup on August 27th, 1985; Vatsa waited a few days in Saudi Arabia before heading back. We may never know what he discussed with Idiagbon; but during the trial, there were allusions that Vatsa wanted to bring Buhari and Idiagbon back to power.
The trail commenced in early 1986 at a Special Military Tribunal headed by Major General Charles B. Ndiomu. One of the key points of the prosecution was a sum of N10,000 (worth probably $12,000 in 1985) given by General Vatsa to one of his fellow coupists Lt. Col. Musa Bitiyong.
At the trial,the prosecution said the money was intended to prepare for the coup; General Vasta insisted there was no coup and the money was a loan to Bitiyong to help him in his farm business.
It was also revealed that the initial meeting had held in Makuridi, Benue State and chaired by Bitiyong. Vatsa in fact did not at any time have any meeting with the other coupists.

There were many unfounded accusations including a plan by Vatsa to use aircraft to bomb Lagos to cause chaos AND to destroy Lagos, thus ensuring an immediate movement of the Federal Capital to Abuja which was then still under construction.
This was also the first and last coup that heavily involved the Air Force. All coups in Nigeria were Army affairs. Two of the accused were members of the Presidential fleet. Historians believe this made IBB to heavily punish the Air Force and cause it to loose funding and necessary equipment in subsequent years.
In March the tribunal gave its judgement and ten of the defendants were sentenced to death. Final decision laid with the Armed Forces Ruling Council ( AFRC) Whilst the Babangida administration was still extremely popular at that time and the coupist had little public support; there was a movement to appeal for mercy for Vatsa and his men.

Three popular literary icons: Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and John Pepper Clark went to Dodan Barracks; the then seat of power to appeal for mercy.
The AFRC was scheduled to meet that night 5th March 1986 to decide on the appeals for mercy.
Then at 7pm; the Minister of Defence: Major General Domkat Bali addressed the nation to state the decision of the AFRC. He restated the offence of the men and the gravity of what they had done. The speech was not beyond the ordinary until the last few seconds when he uttered these words.

“ Those sentenced to death were executed about 30 minutes ago. In the military the penalty for treason is death”

EXECUTED 30 MINUTES AGO!!!! What? Already executed? The nation was still waiting for a decision. So basically the meeting ended around 5pm and the order was given to execute; no last meal nor final goodbyes.
General Vatsa is believed to have been wearing his white buba and sokoto and requested that his Bible, wedding ring and wrist watch be given to his wife. She was not allowed to see him throughout the trial, but their daughter Fatima was able to smuggle herself in with his defense lawyers and he sent them a note with the words : “Do not beg Babangida. He is after my life. Take care of the children. I know it is not easy but God will help you.”
Mrs Vatsa claims the ring given to her was not the Generals; it had been exchanged she alleged.

Rumors were rife for years that Vatsa was never killed, but smuggled to London by IBB to save his friend. Of course that was put to rest when Mrs Vatsa took IBB to the 1999 Oputa Truth Commission accusing him of murder.

One more oddity to the whole case were the words of General Domkat Bali in an interview twenty years later to TheNews Magazine. His words : ‘“My regret is that up till now, I am not sure whether Vatsa ought to have been killed because whatever evidence they amassed against him was weak. My only regret is that I could not say, don’t do it. I am not so sure whether we were right to have killed Vatsa.”


Source: https://v7place.com/index.php?topic=604.0

Can u imagine? #10,0000 was worth 12,000 USD. Ohh my Nigeria, my heart bleeds...
It shall not be well with all the bad leaders.
Ahh, karma will visit them all.

10,000 cannot even buy a bag of rice any longer. Smh

Now it's BUHARI/BURAITAI FOR THE MIYETTI ALLAH FULANI GROUP. DOES THIS MEAN THAT GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA CAN ONLY BE MAINTAINED BY THE MILITARY EITHER BY MONOPOLY OR COUP, BY FORCE OR BY CROOKS? AND THE NASS JUST SIT IN OFFICE DELIBERATING NOTHING BUT MAKING MONEY UNTIL COUP PLOTTERS COME TO CHASE THEM OUT?

Nawa o

Read our next submission on The Corporal, The Captain, The Colneal, The General. The Men Who Saved IBB! As we continue to document Nigeria's history.

https://www.nairaland.com/6226706/corporal-captain-colneal-general-men#95637044

Uyi168:
To get the full gist of how it all went down, get this book, SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE..

A very good book.
I have it, lemme know if u want it.

Pls I need it too atobatelejide@gmail.com

jydessd:
Pls I need it too atobatelejide@gmail.com

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Ok, I will send when I'm less busy.

Those were d days of strongmen today no Lilly-liverd cowards is talking of coup anymore.
I wish IBB can try his stunt again.

The Retired Soldiers need to come out and confess the Truth about the Coup executions as Gen Domkat Bali did concerning Vasta were he admitted that the evidence used to kill Vasta was too weak and almost not even there

It has become obvious that many innocent Nigerian Soldiers and Officers were killed by Military Juntas

that used it as a means of getting rid of their perceived rivals

well.. time and death are great equalizers - IBB is rotting flesh and Adenuga his toy-boy is ailing with kidney and heart disease

@Mods like mynd44 , domnique or lalasticalala... kindly move to FrontPage for more reviews and opinion submissions...
Interesting writeup.

We need young visionary leaders not these past and present incompetent & clueless charlatans in power.

@Seniorwriter

Just Imagin 10,000 Being 12, 000 Dolas.