Filmmaker Obi Emelonye has opened up on what former military dictator Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) told him about his late close friend, Mamman Vatsa, during the making of ‘Badamasi: Portrait of a General.’
‘Badamasi: Portrait of a General’ is a biopic about Mr Babangida, released on 12 June 2021 in London and directed by Mr Emelonye.
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Mamman Vatsa, a Nigerian general and poet, served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and was a member of the Supreme Military Council.
He was accused of plotting a coup against Mr Babangida in 1985 and was executed by firing squad in March 1986, alongside other alleged coup plotters, after a controversial military tribunal trial that found him guilty.
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The film depicted key moments in the former military leader’s life, including his experiences during the Nigerian Civil War, where he sustained injuries while attempting to rescue a colleague, as well as his involvement in military coups and the annulment of the June 1993 presidential election.
Enyinna Nwigwe was cast in the lead role as Mr Babangida.
Speaking in a recent interview on WithChude podcast, posted on YouTube on Saturday, the 57-year-old filmmaker revealed that the 83-year-old former military leader confided in him about ordering Mr Vatsa’s execution.
The alumnus of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, said: “I asked Ibrahim Babangida about Mamman Vatsa’s story, and he answered that he was his classmate at Bida Secondary School and also his coursemate at the Nigerian defence school. So, they were very close and rose through the ranks after the Civil War. So, there was a coup plan against IBB where they did not just want to kill him (Mr Babangida) in Dodan Barracks but also burn down the barracks with his family.
“Mamman Vatsa caught wind of it and didn’t tell his friend (Mr Babangida). He (Vatsa) wasn’t part of the planning, but the tribunal found him guilty. The case now becomes, is Babangida going to put friendship above military tradition, and what precedent does that set with his other close friends? He was conflicted. He (Babangida) said ordering the killing of his friend (Vatsa) was the most difficult thing he had to do as a soldier. But he had to do it because if anybody betrayed anybody, Vatsa betrayed him.”
Close friends
Furthermore, Mr Emelonye, known for producing films like ‘Black Mail’ and ‘Crazy, Lovely’, stated that Mr Babangida told him his late friend (Vatsa) played a significant role in his life.
“As a matter of fact, after his (Mr Babangida) accident when he was shot at the Nigerian civil war in Umuahia, it was Mamman Vatsa who took over his command when he was in hospital. They have been close since that time, and when IBB became president, he made Mamman Vatsa the FCT Minister. That showed trust and compensation for his loyalty.
“But in military politics, if you hear about a coup and you don’t report it, you are as guilty as the people who planned it. I also met with Mamman Vatsa’s family; they shared with me their frustrations, and I gave them this perspective. Anybody can say for sure if Mamman Vatsa did not know about the coup because that was the basis upon which he was convicted”, said the filmmaker.
Netflix
Additionally, Mr Emelonye revealed that despite his significant investment in biopic production, he has been unable to generate any revenue from it.
Mr Emelonye clarified that Mr Babangida did not financially support the biopic.
However, he stated that he informed Babangida of his intention to fund the film personally, provided he was granted permission to proceed.
He said, “When we finished the film in 2019, the plan was to release it in cinemas, with FilmOne representing it. We applied to the Censor Board for a certificate to show it in theatres, but it was denied without any explanation. We then re-strategised and decided to bypass cinemas, which could be confrontational. Instead, we opted for streaming.
“We presented the film to Netflix, and they were highly interested, agreeing to acquire it as an original. However, just as we were finalising negotiations, Netflix returned and said they needed a letter from the government.”
Buhari
The filmmaker further explained that they could not secure government approval for Netflix due to the relationship between Mr Babangida and Muhammadu Buhari, the sitting president at the time of the biopic’s release.
He added that most of the characters in the film were not based on direct conversations with Mr Babangida but were shaped by months of observation—closely watching how he (Mr Babangida) interacted with people and handled various situations.
“First, out of respect and fear of Muhammadu Buhari. There was no way to tell IBB’s story without mentioning Buhari, and he didn’t want to risk embarrassing himself or attracting the attention of the SSS. Though he wanted me to make the film, he didn’t fully support it.
“At the time, his reputation had been severely damaged, and he was testing the waters to see how people would react. But, in line with his nature, he also wanted deniability”, Mr Emelonye said.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the former military president has been in the news since the release of his autobiography, ‘A Journey in Service.’
In the book, Mr Babangida, for the first time, acknowledges that Moshood Abiola won the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election—32 years ago.
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