‘Everybody must die’, Babangida declares as he rises a third time

BY OUR EDITOR

The story of General Ibrahim Babangida’s rumoured death now sings like a refrain in a song.

Three times, the enigma who ruled Nigeria with iron fist for eight years has been rumoured dead, three times he has risen to declare himself alive.

“The rumour does not shock me, neither does it bother me because I know I must go and meet God my creator.

“There is nothing really to worry about, my religion has told me.

“Well, as a Muslim, I strongly believe everybody will die, everybody will die and everybody has to die. It could be now or in hundred years’ time, or two days to come, but it doesn’t matter, everybody must die,” Babangida responded when the rumoured news of his death was posed to him April 24, 2016.

In 2016, Gen. Babangida was twice rumoured to have died. First, was April 24, 2016 and then June 8, 2016. In fact, in June he was said to have died between Germany and Switzerland where he had gone for medical treatment.

On each occasion, the retired military dictator had always announced to Nigerians that he was not dead, but “alive and in good health.”

So, as another rumour of the death of the man who once described himself as the evil genius spread across the nation’s landscape between yesterday and today like virus, he has risen again to debunk it, declaring, “I’m alive, hale and hearty.”

Gen. Babangida became the head of state of Nigeria in August of 1985, following a military coup that ousted then head of state, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari. Ironically, 34 years after, Buhari is the civilian President of Nigeria today.