'Why The Rush To Execute An Innocent Man'-Jonathan

A family member of the late General Mamman Vatsa, Jonathan Vatsa, has criticized former Head of State, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), over the execution of his brother.

Jonathan, in a statement released on Friday following Babangida’s claim that he had to execute Vatsa, who happens to be his childhood friend, because of national security, stated that his brother’s execution was unjust.

LeadNaija had earlier reported that Babangida, in excerpts from his autobiography, ‘A Journey of Service’, launched on February 20, 2025, revealed details of the foiled coup allegedly led by his childhood friend, Vatsa, and the difficult decision he faced in choosing between personal loyalty and national security.

Jonathan, in reaction to the revelation, also knocked Babangida over his recent apology for the annulment of the June 12 presidential election, arguing that such apologies were meaningless given the irreparable harm caused by past actions.

He said, “My stance has always been that he was killed unjustly. He never deserved to die. There was no valid reason for his execution, even though the military tribunal sentenced him to death. He had the right to appeal. Before he could even file an appeal, they announced he had been killed an hour earlier. Why the rush to execute an innocent man?

“It’s like winning a case in court and, according to the Nigerian constitution, you have the right to go to a higher court, but before you can do so, they claim your time has run out. They weren’t fair to him. It wasn’t about sacrifice; they saw him as a threat. If he had been alive, they wouldn’t have been able to accomplish the things they did.

“He (Babangida) owes Nigerians apology on so many issues. And it’s not only apology he owes Nigerians. He should thank God he is still alive and he has the opportunity to say I’m sorry. So, he should equally summon the courage, not only to apologise, he should equally make restitution. Everything that he has taken from Nigerians that was not in the right way, he should make restitution.”