Mamman Jiya Vatsa

Mamman Jiya Vatsa was a Nigerian general and poet who served as Minister of the Federal Capital Abuja, and was a member of the Supreme Military Council. He was born on 3 December 1940 in Bida, Northern Region, British Nigeria (now Bida, Nigeria). He attended the Government College Bida from 1957 to 1962 and started his career with the Nigerian Army by enrolling in the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC) on 10 December 1962. He was later commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Nigerian Army after graduating from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He participated in the Nigerian counter-coup of 1966 and the Nigerian Civil War, where he commanded the 21 battalion. He also wrote academic articles about the operational aspects of certain battles. He was an instructor at the Nigerian Defence Academy and a Principal Staff Officer at Army Headquarters. He later commanded the 30 Infantry Brigade (Ogoja), 13 Infantry Brigade (Calabar), and the Brigade of Guards. He was appointed as Minister of the Federal Capital Abuja by General Muhammadu Buhari in 1984 and was a member of the Supreme Military Council. He was also a gifted writer and poet, who published poems and books such as Harvest of Thorns, The Missing Link, and The Trial of Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa and Others. He was accused of being involved in a coup plot against General Ibrahim Babangida, who was his childhood friend, and was executed by firing squad on 5 March 1986 in Lagos. He was married to Safiya Vatsa and had four children: Haruna, Fatima, Hauwa, and Aisha. He was awarded the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) posthumously.