IBRAHIM BABANGIDA AND SCARS THAT NEVER HEALS

Summary of atrocities of a village tyrant

Some apologists have been circulating nauseating reports that attempt to glorify former Military despot, Ibrahim Babangida. A list of ‘achievements’ were accorded him in completely wrong and fallacious context.

There is no way a dictator would have emerged and forcefully rule a country for eight years without leaving some structures built. It is normal, afterall, Government is a continuum and budgets were approved every year, being public funds to be spent for the people.

Hitler build structures, Idi-Amin had his own ‘achievements’ and even Mobutu Seseseko. The issue is AT WHAT COST ON HUMAMITY? When these people will be judged in terms of their positive and negative aspects, what will be the verdict?

As for self styled General Babangida, he was a disaster, a disgrace to humanity and If Babangida had not emerged as Nigerian Head of State, a lot of atrocities we witness today would have been avoided.

Here we list some of the most wicked and villainous contributions of Babangida to the fall of Nigeria from grace to grass.
]Industry: Babangida after a one-year long national dialogue whether to take IMF or not, which his predecessor had rejected, accepted the deadly IMF conditions. That was the death hammer that plunged Nigeria into monumental economic crisis. Factories collapsed and many of the best brains in Nigeria began to flee the country.
The first brain drain in Nigeria began at this time.When Babangida came to power in 1985, there were at least 350 textile related factories in Nigeria. By the time he left in 1993, 95 percent of them had left Nigeria. There were no fewer than 1000 major companies and firms that closed down between 1985 when he came to power and 1993.
In 1984 when he came to power, it was 0.765 dollar to 1 Naira. By the time he left in it was N22 to one dollar.
Corruption: Under Babangida, corruption was directive principle of state policy. Immediately he came to power, he released all detained corrupt politicians and even returned all seized properties to them. The Pius Okigbo Panel indicted Babangida and accused him of failing to account for some 12b dollars realised from oil sales. In his book titled ‘The Sink’, Jeffrey Robinson wrote that ‘Of the US120b siphoned out of Nigerian treasury into offshore accounts by dishonest politicians, US20b is allegedly traceable to Babangida as military President (of Nigeria-1985-1993). He was notorious for giving out state resources at his own discretion underlining the level of corruption under his government. Examples of his gifts were PMAN-N20m, Arewa House,N35m, Yakubu Gowon Centre,N30m, NUJ,30m, NLC, 50m, Zik Hall, Zungeru, 40m, Ecumerical Centre, Abuja, 50m and many more.
Human right violations: IBB detested intellectual debate. He proscribed NANS, NLC, ASUU several times in 1988, 1990 and 1992. He even sent armed state agents to invade universities and sack lecturers from their quarters. He introduced a voluntary NANs whereby it was not compulsory for students to join NANs. Violent cultism began under Babangida. He armed students to invade campuses and kidnap NANs leaders. At UNN in 1987, his armed students invaded the campus and kidnapped Kunu Harmony, Chidi Omeje and Lanre Ehonwa. They damaged Kunu’s private part and destroyed one of Omeje’s eyes. They invaded University of Lagos, Kidnap Omoyele Sowore and injected him with poison. IBB went viciously after students, old enough to be his children. These armed students later set up violent cults to rival radical student movements and destroy the tradition of NANs. The Eye, Aye and all the cult groups we see today began in that era.
4 students of ABU were killed in 1986 when armed soldiers entered ABU female hostel and raped the girls, leading to national riots. Under him, eight members of one family at Oko-Oba were shot dead, Col Ringin was killed, the Dawodu brothers were killed in Lagos while during the June 12 protests, thousands of people were killed while many disappeared never to be found. He closed down media houses at will, arrested and detained journalists without trial for years using decree 2 of 1984 and there were many cases of people who disappeared.
Dele Giwa was bombed, the Investigating Police Officer, Dare from Kogi State died in a mysterious road accident, while the September 26, 1992 Ejigbo Air Force C-130 plane crash that ended the lives of several young soldiers remain a mystery. It led to the death of 159 soldiers and officers and eight foreign nationals.The soldiers were believed to be remnants of those who were suspected to be radicals who may overthrow his regime following the Major Gideon Orkar led military coup of April 22,1990. No one survived the crash and there was no rescue of the potential survivors for 30 hours. Many of them were left to bleed to death.On the day IBB visited the site with his Vice, Aikhomu, they were beaming with smiles. This was captured by The Guardian Newspapers front page.
Babangida detained thousands of Nigerians without trial like Femi Falana, Gani Fawehinmi, Baba Omojola, Beko Ransom Kuti, Chima Ubani, Olisa Agbakoba among many others.
Babangida was an extremely wicked,unaccountable, deceitful liar who ruled and ruined Nigeria, leaving trails of blood and anguish that will last for generations. He imposed his crony, Sanni Abacha, who continued his atrocious policies for the next five years after the exit of the evil IBB. He was the most corrupt Nigerian Head of State that ever lived. He also surrounded himself, in his kitchen cabinet, with liars, covetous characters and crooks while he left the outer layer of his government ran by some decent intellectuals to create the false impression that he was committed to the needs of Nigerians.

Listen to Babangida on Abacha  in a speech at the Sani Abacha 10th anniversary lecture in Kano, IBB said, “It is not true that he (Abacha) looted public treasury. I knew who Abacha was because I was close to him.”

A Nigerian, Felix Ayanruo correctly put it when he said ‘He went on to say that Abacha’s contributions to our national economy are indelible and the best thing that has happened to the Nigeria nation. The last time I checked over $1.9bn has been recovered from the Abacha family, $750m came from voluntary surrender, N570m from Switzerland, $380m from Jersey and $150m from the United Kingdom. Ibrahim Babangida could not have more vividly illustrated his manifesto for the 2011 presidential election.’ 
 Report by the Central Working Committee, (Nigerian Human Rights Community, (NHRC)June 23, 2024