FG refers Vatsa’s petition to Justice Ministry: The findings of the security agents who investigated the killing of Major-General Mamman Vatsa over the 1986 coup have been turned over to the office of the Attorney- General of Nigeria, Mr. Bayo Ojo, for judicial advice, the Nigerian Tribune reports.
The report was said to have been forwarded to the justice minister’s office on Tuesday. It could not be done on Monday as planned because those packaging it reportedly worked late into the evening.
The minister, who is on his annual leave, is currently out of the country and would not return until August 21.
A source revealed that the findings of the investigative team are being treated as highly classified, with the members of the team said to be reporting directly to the National Security Adviser, Gen. Sarki Mukhtar (rtd) instead of their Director-General.
The said Director-General was said not to have been privy to the findings of his officials before the report was forwarded to the office of the Justice Minister.
The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the minister was being expected to offer expert advice, before another round of investigations would take place on the matter.
The minister is being involved, according to our source, to point out legal pitfalls in the unfolding Vatsa saga, before attempts would be made to move for the prosecution of the principal actors in the General Babangida regime, which sentenced Vatsa and others to death over alleged involvement in attempts to overthrow the regime.
The move to probe into Vatsa’s death by the Federal Government is seen in many circles as an attempt to rope Babangida into culpable homicide, and use the murder charge to stop him from contesting the 2007 presidential election, for which he is seen as a front-runner.
General Charles Ndiomu (rtd), was the chairman of the military tribunal that sentenced Vatsa and others to death, with General Domkat Bali (rtd) announcing to the whole world that the convicted coup plotters, including Vatsa, had been executed “about an hour ago”, at a time almost the whole world was pleading that their lives be spared.
