Celebrating Ibrahim Babangida at 75

The gap toothed military General has always attracted to himself intense love and perhaps, hatred by those who love to hate him.
Ordinarily, many Nigerians never liked soldiers no matter their close affiliation to them.
Many have and their mindsets on the mistaken belief that soldiers are often educational dropouts. However, it was during the Nigerian civil war that most encountered soldiers.
My preliminary contact with the IBB was during my working days with the Daily Times as a senior correspondent from 1974- 1978. I had earlier worked for the Nigerian TIDE newspaper owned by the Rivers State Government of Commander Alfred Diete Spiff.
Apart from the routine reportage of stories of interest to the Rivers State Government, I reviewed books written by Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka and JP Clark, the triumvirate literary stars.
Later I saw in the late Mamman JiyaVatsa, a soldier turned poet whose works I found soul searching and uplifting. His maiden book, ‘The Bird Sings for Rain’ made an impression on me and we took time out to do interviews and reviews of some of his works.
As friends from Niger State, Mamman Vatsa later introduced me to his military colleague IBB. Our friendship blossomed from then on.
For me, IBB was a more sociable and mercurial fellow easygoing and generally friendly.
From my close watch, I came to understand that as member of the Armoured Corps division, it seemed any time matters of change of leadership was being discussed in hushed voices, IBB was almost invariably in the thick and thin of midnight meetings when innocent soldiers were going about their chores without knowing that a coup was being plotted.
He was always a member of the Supreme military council from the days of Murtala, OBJ and even Buhari.
For a man who finds it easy to mix with the lower and upper ranks of the military, he always had their ears.
When I left Daily Times for the News Agency of Nigeria 1 was a chief correspondent for a while and when coups are being staged, it was one of my duties to ensure whom the masterminds of the early morning martial music that usually heralds the announcement of various coups.
I vividly remember the coup that ousted President Shehu Shagari in December 1983 and from the voices, we heard that morning wet those of Gen, Abacha, Idiagbon and IBB in Radio Nigeria, Ikoyi.
IBB became a name that had magnetized the feelings of most Nigerians, who believe that he was a man with many lives, a risk taker and was fearless almost to a fault.
Nevertheless, for a soldier destined to excel in his chosen career, it was even almost difficult to pin him down for an interview because he was virtually on the move as a professional contact man for all seasons.
Sturdily built, fair-skinned he seemed a lady’s man by all standards.
In his own account of the civil war when he passed through hills and forests in the Enugu axis, it was there that e had got the injury that had lingered up to today.
After achieving his military successes during the civil war, he came to Asaba and met the woman of his dream, Maryam Ndidi Okogun, who he told directly that he would marry her despite his seeming notoriety as a playboy within the military.
No greater memory could a son in law bequeath to a wife for whom a brand new state DELTA was created. In addition, today within a week, Delta would celebrate 25 years of its existence and who says playboys does not pay.
Delta state was indeed a gift of Maryam Ndidi Akogunfor the people of Delta state.
In between coups and counter coups, we have met several times in Ikoyi Lagos at his residence.
I can also recall that his wife prepared some egusi soup and pounded yam for me to eat.
Between IBB and I, we have a binding tie that is difficult to define. We are friends and when we meet he calls me Willy Bee reminding me of my Lagos Weekend days as Editor of that scandal sheet that carried stories of sexual escapades of men and women where I contributed weekly diet of juicy and delectable sexy stories that you could hardly resist. Even for High Court Judges, they would place a copy of the Lagos Weekend inside Guardian and Tribune newspapers and they leave the Lagos Weekend behind in their hallowed chambers.
For a man who had always been key to opening most successful coups, it was perhaps, only a matter of time that he would strike and be Man of the show sooner than later.
Just under two years of Shagari’s overthrow in December 1983, IBB proved he bootmakers right when he struck with a clinical accuracy as he moved against Buhari and Idiagbon- the non -smiling duo who had tried to entrench a reign of terror and pushing the press into a dark age as two Guardian reporters – Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor were jailed for publishing a list of Ambassadorial nominees.
It can only take the guts of an IBB to shove the draconikan regime of Buhari Idiagbon out of circulation.
Every other coup seems to beget a fresh coup and within a few months, there was a coup linking Mamman Vatsa to oust IBB –as twosome from Minna and Niger state, many felt IBB would not do justice to the plotters.
Mamman and others paid the supreme price for an incipient coup.
For IBB, it is perhaps to take imdue advantage of personal friendship for granted.
From then on, one knewthat it was dangerous to mistake IBB’s gap -toothed smiles for granted, and in a situation of life and death, every man will answer his father’s name.
As if that hazardous exercise of coup plotting was not serious enough, another band of plotters, led by Col Gideon Orka and a band of rag- tag retired soldiers attempted another deadly coup to dethrone him from Dodan Barracks, Lagos.
IBB as always, displayed Catwith nine lives status prevailed with Gen Abacha, his stable partner in coup matters rallied support and spirited him out of the endangered DodanBarraksthat was badly damaged and bullet- ridden   barracks.
For some strange reasons, yours truly narrowly escaped being labeled a coup plotter by association.
Willy Bee was picked up from his office in NAN- News Agency of Nigeria on grounds that he was a friend of an alleged coup plotter and financier.
During my intense interrogation in Ikoyi by some top military and intelligence officers, they were convinced that if a Willy BEE knew of a coup then that coup would fail before starting.
Most of the officers on the investigative paneldiscovered that as former Editor of Lagos Weekend, if they had caught me with daughter or wife a soldier I would have accepted guilt of adultery. However, talking of blood coups was never my cup of tea. I was released, discharged and aquitted on any charge of mutiny or coup plotting.
It was a very day for one to be polaced under detention for upwards of three months before I was released.
I respect IBB for not all that transpired to the effect that Willy Bee could never be a party to a coup to unseat IBB.
Today August 17 as he celebrates his 75th year on this lonely earth, having seen fire and brimstone in his military career, he should remain steadfast as a patriot and lover of humanity.
I had met with him some six months ago in Minna at the Hilltop Villa and he looked as cheerful as ever. Even with all the rumours flying around him that he had joined his ancestors, I knew he would survive the doom day sawyers.
At 75, IBB has lived a fulfilled life, children and grand children running around him gives him greater joy than accolades from well- wishers and political friends.
I promise myself that I will go over to the Minna Hilltop for a life interview on why he went to Radio Nigeria unarmed to confront Col Dimka after he killed Murtala Mohammed who was on his way to Dodan barracks February 13, 1976?Could he not have pardoned Jiya Mamman Vatsa from being executed after a failed coup as they were classmates and closest of friends?
In the nation’s history of military rulers, one found him IBB more charismatic than the rest of the crowd. In addition, whether in or out of office, IBB remains the Main Man people love to hate. Happy Seventy-Five cheers, IBB.