The family of late General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, executed in 1986 for an alleged coup plot against the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, has expressed deep gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for granting the late military officer and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory a state pardon.
General Vatsa, a respected poet and soldier, was executed alongside nine other officers after a military tribunal found them guilty of plotting a coup. His family, who have long maintained his innocence, had persistently appealed to successive governments for a state pardon that would allow them to establish a foundation in his memory.
In a statement released in Minna on Friday, the family described President Tinubu’s gesture as their “greatest moment of joy” since the execution 39 years ago. The statement, signed by family spokesperson and former Niger State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Hon. Jonathan Vatsa, noted that the pardon had finally brought healing to decades of pain.
“Today is the happiest moment in the life of the family after 39 years of sorrow and sadness following the killing of our late father, brother and uncle,” Vatsa said. “Though nothing can bring him back to life, the family is consoled by this display of statesmanship by our dear president, Tinubu. He has written his name in gold, and history will forever remember him.”
He added that “justice can never be denied but can only be delayed,” stressing that the family believes the late General Vatsa would be at peace in his grave following the President’s compassionate gesture.
Vatsa further described the 1986 coup allegations as a “frame-up” and the trial as “stage-managed,” orchestrated to eliminate his uncle out of envy and malice. He recalled that the late General Domkat Bali, a respected military figure, had once admitted in an interview that the evidence against Vatsa was weak and questioned the justification for his execution.
“That is why the family still maintained that the late Vatsa was innocent of the coup. But we still thank President Tinubu for his magnanimity in granting him the state pardon,” he said.
He expressed regret that the late General’s wife and some of his children were not alive to witness the long-awaited moment but expressed gratitude that some of his descendants were still present to see justice finally done.
What you should know
General Mamman Jiya Vatsa, a soldier, poet, and former FCT Minister, was executed in 1986 for an alleged coup against General Babangida’s regime.
Nearly four decades later, President Tinubu granted him a posthumous state pardon, bringing long-sought closure to his family and community.
