NPFL victory
84-500: Babangida is a Nigerian surname. Notable people with the surname include: Ibrahim Babangida , former military ruler of Nigeria Maryam Babangida , former first lady of Nigeria Three footballer brothers Tijani Babangida (born 1973), Nigerian footballer Ibrahim Babangida (footballer) (born 1976), Nigerian footballer Haruna Babangida (born 1982), Nigerian footballer [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with
168-523: A cease-fire. At the beginning of September 1995, Liberia's three principal warlords – Taylor, George Boley and Alhaji Kromah – made theatrical entrances into Monrovia. A ruling council of six members under civilian Wilton G. S. Sankawulo and with the three factional heads Taylor, Kromah and Boley, took control of the country preparatory to elections that were originally scheduled for 1996. Heavy fighting broke out again in April 1996. This led to
252-540: A ceasefire in 1995 but fighting continued until a peace agreement between the main factions occurred in August 1996. Taylor was elected President of Liberia following the 1997 Liberian general election and entered office in August of the same year. The First Liberian Civil War killed around 200,000 people and eventually led to the involvement of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and
336-665: A generational shift in leadership to allow for a new crop of leaders to replace the 1966 military class. A biopic titled Badamasi: Portrait of a General which chronicled his early life, life during the Nigerian Civil War as well as his time as the military head of state was produced by Obi Emelonye and released in cinemas on 12 June 2020. Babangida was married to Maryam Babangida from 1969 until her death in 2009. They had four children together; Aisha, Muhammad, Aminu, and Halima. On 27 December 2009, Maryam Babangida died from complications of ovarian cancer. Babangida
420-486: A large rebel force led by Prince Johnson's INPFL also arrived and attacked Doe's party. Doe was captured and taken to the INPFL's Caldwell base. He was brutally tortured before being killed and dismembered. His torture and execution was videotaped by his captors. Johnson's INPFL and Taylor's NPFL continued to struggle for control of Monrovia in the months that followed. With military discipline absent and bloodshed throughout
504-780: A national mass mobilization . The fall of Babangida and his regime was precipitated by the transition toward the Third Nigerian Republic and the subsequent militarization of politics in the 1993 presidential election which he annulled. Ibrahim Babangida was born on 17 August 1941 in Minna by Muhammad and Aisha Babangida. He received early Islamic education before attending primary school from 1950 to 1956. From 1957 to 1962 Babangida attended Government College Bida , together with classmates Abdulsalami Abubakar , Mamman Vatsa , Mohammed Magoro , Sani Bello , Garba Duba , Gado Nasko and Mohammed Sani Sami . Babangida joined
588-708: A regional power with diplomatic successes including the Abuja Treaty and the military engagement of Nigerian troops in Liberia and Sierra Leone . Abroad, Babangida's military regime cemented traditional relations with the English-speaking world of the United States and the United Kingdom ; and implemented economic liberalization and the privatization of state-owned enterprises alongside
672-698: A result of the post-12 June 1993 election which he illegally nullified. He rose through the ranks of the Nigerian Army fighting in the Nigerian Civil War and at various times being involved in almost all the military coups in Nigeria , before advancing to the full-rank of a General and ultimately as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces ; and as an unelected President and military dictator from 1985 to 1993, ruling for an uninterrupted period of eight years. His years in power, colloquially known as
756-673: A sustained commitment to the SAP difficult to maintain. Babangida contributed to the development of national infrastructure. He finished the construction of the Third Mainland Bridge , the largest bridge on the continent at the time. His administration also saw the completion of the dualising of the Kaduna-Kano highway. Babangida also completed the Shiroro Hydroelectric Power Station . He had
840-400: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles Ibrahim Babangida Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida GCFR GCB (born 17 August 1941) is a Nigerian statesman and military dictator who ruled as military president of Nigeria from 1985 when he orchestrated a coup d'état against his military and political arch-rival Muhammadu Buhari , until his resignation in 1993 as
924-479: Is followed by Ruth Perry as chairwoman of the ruling council, who served until 2 August 1997. Simultaneous elections for the presidency and national assembly were finally held in July 1997. In a climate hardly conducive to free movement and security of persons, Taylor and his National Patriotic Party won an overwhelming victory against 12 candidates. Assisted by widespread intimidation, Taylor took 75 per cent of
SECTION 10
#17327661062181008-549: Is rumoured to be worth over US$ 5 billion. He is believed to secretly possess a multi-billion dollar fortune via successive ownership of stakes in a number of Nigerian companies. Magazine Forbes assumed in 2011 that shortly before the Second Gulf War Babangida channelled US$ 12 billion of unplanned profits ("oil windfall") into his own pocket (the oil price jumped from US$ 15/barrel to US$ 41.15/barrel within weeks in 1990 and then crashed almost as quickly to
1092-598: The 2007 Nigerian presidential election . He said he was doing so "under the banner of the Nigerian people" and accused the country's political elite of fuelling Nigeria's current ethnic and religious violence. On 8 November 2006, General Babangida picked up a nomination form from the Peoples Democratic Party headquarters in Abuja. This effectively put to rest any speculation about his ambitions to run for
1176-841: The Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji . From 1979 to 1980, he attended the Senior Executive Course at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies . Babangida was the Director of Army Staff Duties and Plans from 1981 to 1983. He was the main figure behind the coup d'ètat of 1983 which led to the overthrow of the Second Republic , with financial backing from his close associate and businessman Moshood Abiola . Babangida alongside his other co-conspirators later appointed
1260-485: The Babangida Era , are considered one of the most controversial in Nigerian political and military history, being characterized by a burgeoning political culture of corruption in Nigeria , with Babangida and his regime estimated to have appropriated at least 12 billion dollars (23.9 billion today). The Babangida regime oversaw the establishment of a state security apparatus; survived two coup d'ètat attempts and
1344-782: The National Electoral Commission – showed the duo of Moshood Abiola and Babagana Kingibe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) defeated Bashir Tofa and Slyvester Ugoh of the National Republican Convention (NRC) by over 2.3 million votes in the 1993 presidential election . The elections were later annulled by military head of state General Babangida, citing electoral irregularities. The annulment led to widespread protests and political unrest in Abiola's stronghold of
1428-569: The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL). They invaded Nimba County on 24 December 1989. The Liberian Army retaliated against the whole population of the region, attacking unarmed civilians, mainly of the Mandingo tribe, and burning villages. Many left as refugees for Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire, but opposition to Doe was inflamed. Prince Johnson , an NPFL fighter, split to form his own guerrilla force soon after crossing
1512-548: The October 2010 Abuja bombing . President Goodluck Jonathan later emerged as the PDP presidential candidate and throughout his presidency sought counsel from Babangida and his military inner circle. In 2015, following the election of his long-time rival General Muhammadu Buhari as president, Babangida maintained a low profile. In 2017, Babangida had corrective surgery. He is considered a foremost elder statesman, and has called for
1596-700: The South West , as many felt Babangida had ulterior motives, and did not want to cede power to Moshood Abiola , a Yoruba businessman. Babangida later admitted that the elections were annulled due to national security considerations, which he didn't specify. The lingering 12 June crisis led to the resignation of General Babangida in August 1993. Babangida signed a decree establishing the Interim National Government led by Ernest Shonekan . As interim president, Shonekan initially appointed Abiola as his vice president , who refused to recognize
1680-747: The United Nations . The peace lasted for two years until the Second Liberian Civil War broke out when anti-Taylor forces invaded Liberia from Guinea in April 1999. Samuel Doe took power in a popular rebellion in 1980 against the Liberian Government, becoming the first Liberian President of non Americo-Liberian descent. Doe established a military regime called the People's Redemption Council and enjoyed support from Liberian ethnic groups who were denied power since
1764-858: The foreign relations of Nigeria . He rejected apartheid in South Africa , involved Nigerian troops in the Liberian Civil War , hosted the Abuja Treaty which gave rise to the African Union and enhanced relations with the United States and the United Kingdom. In 1986, Nigeria joined the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation an international organisation considered the "collective voice of the Muslim world ". This move
SECTION 20
#17327661062181848-462: The rebel siege on Monrovia and exiled Charles Taylor to Nigeria until he was arrested in 2006 and taken to The Hague for his trial. By the conclusion of the final war, more than 250,000 people had been killed and nearly 1 million displaced. Half that number remain to be repatriated in 2005, at the election of Liberia's first democratic President since the initial 1980 coup d'état of Samuel Doe. Former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , who initially
1932-415: The surname Babangida . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Babangida&oldid=1064436521 " Category : Surnames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description
2016-677: The 1st Infantry Battalion, to Nimba in December 1989-January 1990, apparently under then-Colonel Hezekiah Bowen. The AFL acted in a very brutal and scorched-earth fashion, which quickly alienated the local people. The rebel assault soon pitted ethnic Krahn sympathetic to the Doe regime against those victimized by it, the Gio and the Mano. Thousands of civilians were massacred on both sides. Hundreds of thousands fled their homes. The Monrovia Church massacre
2100-608: The 44 Infantry Battalion which was involved in heavy fighting within Biafran territory. In 1969, during a reconnaissance operation from Enugu to Umuahia , the battalion came under heavy enemy fire and Babangida was shot on the right side of his chest. He was then hospitalized in Lagos, and was given the option of removing the bullet shrapnel, which he refused and still carries with him. Away and recovering from his wounds, Babangida married Maryam King on 6 September 1969. He returned to
2184-734: The Advanced Armoured Officers Course at the United States Army Armor School . In 1973, he was made commander of the 4 Reconnaissance Regiment. In 1975, he became the commander of the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps. Babangida attended several defence and strategy courses. Colonel Babangida as Commander of the Armoured Corps was a key participant in the coup d'état of 1975 . He was later appointed as one of
2268-847: The Akosombo Agreement, a supplement to the Cotonou agreement, named after the Benin city where it was signed. The security situation in Liberia remained poor. In October 1994, in the face of ECOMOG funding shortfalls and a lack of will by the Liberian combatants to honor agreements to end the war, the UN Security Council reduced to about 90 the number of UNOMIL observers. It extended UNOMIL's mandate and subsequently extended it several times until September 1997. In December 1994,
2352-854: The Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and placed Muhammadu Buhari under house arrest in Benin until 1988. He established the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) as the highest law-making council serving as chairman; he also restructured the national security apparatus, tasking General Aliyu Gusau as Co-ordinator of National Security directly reporting to him in the president's office he created the: State Security Service (SSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA). Shortly after coming to power General Babangida established
2436-783: The Cotonou Peace Agreement, prior to elections originally planned for February/March 1994. Renewed armed hostilities broke out in May 1994 and continued, becoming especially intense in July and August. ECOMOG, and later UNOMIL, members were captured and held hostage by some factions. By mid-1994, the humanitarian situation had become disastrous, with 1.8 million Liberians in need of humanitarian assistance. Conditions continued to deteriorate, but humanitarian agencies were unable to reach many in need due to hostilities and general insecurity. Factional leaders agreed in September 1994 to
2520-726: The Freeport of Monrovia on August 24, 1990, landing from Nigerian and Ghanaian vessels. On 9 September 1990, Doe visited the newly established ECOMOG headquarters in the Free Port of Maher. According to Stephen Ellis, his motive was to complain that the ECOMOG commander had not paid a courtesy call to him as the Head of State; however, the exact circumstances that led to Doe's visit to the Free Port are still unclear. Doe had been under pressure to accept exile outside of Liberia. After Doe arrived,
2604-782: The Independent National Patriotic Front (INPFL). The INPFL and NPFL continued their siege on Monrovia, which the AFL defended. In their Freedom in the World report for 1990, Freedom House described Monrovia by July as "a virtual ghost town of starving people and rotting corpses" as the rebel advance on the city caused widespread panic and anarchy, leading to Liberian soldiers looting shops and killing civilians at random, all while hunger and disease quickly took hold. Johnson swiftly took control of parts of Monrovia prompting evacuation of foreign nationals and diplomats by
Babangida - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-527: The NDA's Regular Course 3), and gradually positioned his allies within the echelons of military hierarchy. The execution of the palace coup was initially delayed due to General Tunde Idiagbon the 6th Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters , and ruthless second-in-command to General Muhammadu Buhari. At midnight on 27 August 1985, the plot metamorphosed with four Majors: Sambo Dasuki , Abubakar Dangiwa Umar , Lawan Gwadabe , and Abdulmumini Aminu detailed to arrest
2772-666: The NPFL back beyond Monrovia's suburbs. In 1993, ECOWAS brokered a peace agreement in Cotonou , Benin. Following this, on September 22, 1993, the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council established the UN Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL), to support ECOMOG in implementing this peace agreement. UNOMIL was deployed in early 1994 with 368 military observers and associated civilian personnel to monitor implementation of
2856-940: The Nigerian Army on 10 December 1962, where he attended the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna . Babangida received his commission as a second lieutenant as a regular combatant officer in the Royal Nigerian Army (a month before it became the Nigerian Army) with the personal army number N/438 from the Indian Military Academy on 26 September 1963. Babangida attended the Indian Military Academy from April to September 1963. He
2940-533: The Nigerian Political Bureau of 1986. The bureau was inaugurated to conduct a national debate on the political future of Nigeria, and was charged amongst other things to: Review Nigeria’s political history and identify the basic problems which have led to our failure in the past and suggest ways of resolving and coping with these problems. The exercise was the broadest political consultation conducted in Nigerian history. Between 1983 and 1985,
3024-549: The Presidency. His form was personally issued to him by the PDP chairman, Ahmadu Ali . This action immediately drew extreme reactions of support or opposition from the southwest. In December, just before the presidential primaries, it was widely reported in Nigerian newspapers that Babangida had withdrawn his candidacy. In a letter excerpted in the media, IBB is quoted as citing the "moral dilemma" of running against Umaru Yar'Adua ,
3108-615: The President's own tribe, the Krahn. The mistreatment of the Gio and Mano increased tensions in Liberia, which had already been rising due to Doe's preferential treatment of his own group. Charles Taylor , who had left Doe's government after being accused of embezzlement, assembled a group of rebels in Côte d'Ivoire (mostly ethnic Gios and Manos who felt persecuted by Doe) who later became known as
3192-432: The SAP and MAMSER were: Between 1986 and 1988, these policies were executed as intended by the IMF, and the Nigerian economy actually did grow as had been hoped, with the export sector performing especially well. But falling real wages in the public sector and among the urban classes, along with a drastic reduction in expenditure on public services, set off waves of rioting and other manifestations of discontent that made
3276-465: The Toja Bridge in Kebbi constructed. He also created the Jibia Water Treatment Plant and the Challawa Cenga Dam in Kano . Babangida also founded the Federal Road Safety Corps in order to better manage the national roads. On 23 September 1987, Babangida created two states: Akwa Ibom State and Katsina State . On 27 August 1991, Babangida created nine more states: Abia , Enugu , Delta , Jigawa , Kebbi , Osun , Kogi , Taraba , and Yobe . Bringing
3360-482: The US Navy in August . In August 1990, the 16-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) agreed to deploy a joint military intervention force, the Economic Community Monitoring Group ( ECOMOG ), and placed it under Nigerian leadership. The mission later included troops from non-ECOWAS countries, including Uganda and Tanzania. ECOMOG's objectives were to impose a cease-fire; help Liberians establish an interim government until elections could be held; stop
3444-424: The assassination of Sir Ahmadu Bello . Alongside several young officers from Northern Nigeria , he took part in the July counter-coup led by Murtala Mohammed which ousted General Aguiyi Ironsi replacing him with General Yakubu Gowon . Following the outbreak of the civil war, Babangida was recalled and posted to the 1st Division under the command of General Mohammed Shuwa . In 1968, he became commander of
Babangida - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-406: The bloodshed. The bloodshed did slow considerably, but it did not end. Violent events flared up regularly after the putative end of the war. Taylor, furthermore, was accused of backing guerrillas in neighboring countries and funneling diamond money into arms purchases for the rebel armies he supported, and into luxuries for himself. The implicit unrest manifested during the late 1990s is emblematic in
3612-622: The border, based on the Gio tribe and named Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL). Charles Taylor organized and trained indigenous northerners in Ivory Coast . During Doe's regime Taylor had served in the Liberian Government's General Services Agency, acting 'as its de facto director'. He fled to the United States in 1983 amid what Stephan Ellis describes as the 'increasingly menacing atmosphere in Monrovia' shortly before Thomas Quiwonkpa , Doe's chief lieutenant, fled into exile himself. Doe requested Taylor's extradition for embezzling $ 900,000 of Liberian government funds. Taylor
3696-539: The capital region, members of ECOWAS created the Economic Community Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) to restore order. The force comprised some 4,000 troops from Nigeria , Ghana , Sierra Leone , the Gambia and Guinea . ECOMOG succeeded in bringing Taylor and Johnson to agree to its intervention, but Taylor's forces engaged it in the port area of Monrovia. A series of peacemaking conferences in regional capitals followed. There were meetings in Bamako in November 1990, Lomé in January 1991, and Yamoussoukro in June–October 1991. But
3780-527: The conference. Within days, hostilities resumed. ECOMOG was reinforced in order to protect the interim government. Sawyer was able to establish his authority over most of Monrovia, but the rest of Liberia was in the hands of various factions of the NPFL or of local gangs. The United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO) was formed in June 1991 by supporters of the late President Samuel K. Doe and former Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) fighters who had taken refuge in Guinea and Sierra Leone . It
3864-474: The country suffered an economic crisis. In 1986, Babangida launched the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP), with support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank , to restructure the Nigerian economy. In 1987, Babangida launched the Mass Mobilization for Self Reliance, Social Justice and Economic Recovery (MAMSER), following a recommendation from the Political Bureau, to increase self-reliance and economic recovery. The policies involved in
3948-437: The country within a year. Doe was captured and executed by the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), a splinter faction of the NPFL led by Prince Johnson , in September 1990. The NPFL and INPFL fought each other for control of the capital city, Monrovia and against the Armed Forces of Liberia and pro-Doe United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy . Peace negotiations and foreign involvement led to
4032-401: The country, uprooted most of the rest, and destroyed a once-viable economic infrastructure. The strife also spread to Liberia's neighbors. It helped slow democratization in West Africa at the beginning of the 1990s and destabilized a region that already was one of the world's most unsteady. The Second Liberian Civil War began in 1999 and ended in October 2003, when ECOWAS intervened to stop
4116-451: The diamond mining areas of Lofa and Bomi counties . From its outset, ULIMO was beset with internal divisions and the group effectively broke into two separate militias in 1994: ULIMO-J , an ethnic Krahn faction led by General Roosevelt Johnson ; and ULIMO-K , a Mandingo -based faction led by Alhaji G.V. Kromah . The group was alleged to have committed serious violations of human rights , both before and after its breakup. Peace
4200-466: The evacuation of most international non-governmental organizations and the destruction of much of Monrovia. The U.S. Armed Forces enacted Operation Assured Response which resulted in the removal of 485 Americans and over 2,400 citizens hailing from 68 countries. In August 1996, these battles were ended by the Abuja Accord in Nigeria, agreeing to disarmament and demobilization by 1997 and elections in July of that year. 3 September 1996, Sankawulo
4284-421: The factions and other parties signed the Accra Agreement, a supplement to the Akosombo Agreement. Disagreements ensued and fighting continued. In August 1995, the main factions signed an agreement largely brokered by Ghanaian President Jerry Rawlings . At a conference sponsored by ECOWAS, the United Nations and the United States, the European Union, and the Organization of African Unity , Charles Taylor agreed to
SECTION 50
#17327661062184368-399: The first round of 1992 presidential primaries. Babangida annulled the 7 August presidential primaries which Shehu Yar'Adua emerged as the SDP presidential candidate and Adamu Ciroma as the NRC candidate order to get rid of the old guard in both parties. In January 1993, Babangida rejigged the ruling military junta – the AFRC – replacing it with the National Defence and Security Council, as
4452-468: The first seven peace conferences, including the Yamoussoukro I-IV processes failed. In November 1990, ECOWAS invited the principal Liberian players to meet in Banjul , Gambia to form a government of national unity. The negotiated settlement established the Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU), led by Dr. Amos Sawyer , leader of the LPP. Bishop Ronald Diggs of the Liberian Council of Churches became vice president. However, Taylor's NPFL refused to attend
4536-479: The former Commanding General of the Armed Forces of Liberia whom Doe had demoted and forced to flee the country, attempted to overthrow Doe's regime from neighbouring Sierra Leone . The coup attempt failed and Quiwonkpa was killed and allegedly eaten. His body was publicly exhibited on the grounds of the Executive Mansion in Monrovia soon after his death. The Gio and Mano ethnic groups were persecuted because they were suspected of treason and were seen as inferiors to
4620-418: The founding of the country in 1847. Any hope that Doe would improve the way Liberia was run was put aside as he quickly clamped down on opposition, fueled by his paranoia of a counter-coup attempt against him. As promised, Doe held elections in 1985 and won the presidency by just enough of a margin to avoid a runoff. However, international monitors condemned this election as fraudulent. Thomas Quiwonkpa ,
4704-434: The government and gaining control of the local diamond fields, leading to the Second Liberian Civil War . The Liberian civil war was one of Africa's bloodiest. From 1989 to 1996, it claimed the lives of more than 200,000 Liberians and further displaced a million others into refugee camps in neighboring countries. Child soldiers were used throughout the war. The civil war claimed the lives of one out of every 17 people in
4788-437: The head of state. By daybreak, the conspirators had taken over the government and Babangida flew into Lagos from Minna where he was announced as the new commander-in-chief in a radio broadcast by General Sani Abacha . Babangida justified the coup in a speech describing General Muhammadu Buhari's military regime as "too rigid". Babangida ruling by decree promulgated his official title as the President and Commander-in-Chief of
4872-399: The interim government, the crisis lingered for months culminating in the seizure of power by General Sani Abacha . Babangida at the height of the crisis stated "If I am sleeping and I hear the Yorubas beating the drums of war, I would go back to sleep." From his hilltop residence in Minna, Babangida has cultivated a patronage system which cuts across the entire country. In 1998, Babangida
4956-517: The killing of innocent civilians; and ensure the safe evacuation of foreign nationals. ECOMOG also sought to prevent the conflict from spreading into neighboring states, which share a complex history of state, economic, and ethno-linguistic social relations with Liberia. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) attempted to persuade Doe to resign and go into exile, but despite his weak position – besieged in his mansion – he refused. ECOMOG , an ECOWAS intervention force, arrived at
5040-412: The most senior serving officer at the time General Muhammadu Buhari as military head of state from 1983 to 1985; and Babangida was promoted and appointed as Chief of Army Staff and member of the Supreme Military Council . Following the coup d'état of 1983, General Babangida (then Chief of Army Staff) started scheming to overthrow military head of state General Muhammadu Buhari. The palace coup of 1985
5124-408: The old value). Investigations into this did not lead to any concrete results. A critical remark is that the additional profit of US$ 12 billion calculated by Forbes could only have been realised if Nigeria had sold the entire annual production volume of 630 million barrels exactly on 27 September 1990 at the annual peak price of US$ 41/barrel - instead of the officially stated US$ 22/barrel average during
SECTION 60
#17327661062185208-418: The parties, which the late Chief Bola Ige famously referred to as "two leper hands." The two-party state had been a Political Bureau recommendation. In November 1991, after a census was conducted, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) announced on 24 January 1992 that both legislative elections to a bicameral National Assembly and a presidential election would be held later that year. A process of voting
5292-413: The presidential poll (no other candidate won more than 10 per cent) while the NPP won a similar proportion of seats in both parliamentary chambers. 2 August 1997, Ruth Perry handed power to elected president Charles Taylor. In 1997, the Liberian people elected Charles Taylor as the President after he entered the capital city, Monrovia , by force. Liberians had voted for Taylor in the hope that he would end
5376-437: The queen of the United Kingdom making him the second Nigerian leader after Yakubu Gowon to do so. In 1989, Babangida started making plans for the transition to the Third Nigerian Republic . He legalized the formation of political parties and formed the two-party system with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC) ahead of the 1992 general elections . He urged all Nigerians to join either of
5460-417: The sharp national economic decline and the prevalent sale of diamonds and timber in exchange for small arms. After Taylor's victory, Liberia was sufficiently peaceful that refugees began to return. But other leaders were forced to leave the country, and some ULIMO forces reformed as the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). LURD began fighting in Lofa County with the aim of destabilizing
5544-413: The subsequent execution of Mamman Vatsa (1985) and Gideon Orkar (1991) alongside the trial of hundreds of soldiers; assassination in Lagos of Dele Giwa (1986). The regime also faced a series of ethnic and religious outbreaks related to the fallout of Babangida's decision to increase cooperation with the Muslim world and rise in extremist tendencies. On the continent, his rule projected the country as
5628-439: The supreme decision-making organ of the regime. He also appointed Ernest Shonekan Head of the Transitional Council and de jure Head of Government. At the time, the transitional council was designed to be the final phase leading to a scheduled handover to an elected democratic leader in the slated 1993 presidential election . On 12 June 1993, the presidential election was finally held. The results though not officially declared by
5712-423: The total number of states in Nigeria to thirty in 1991. Babangida also increased the share of oil royalties and rents to states of origin from 1.5 to 3 percent. Babangida and his Ministers of the Federal Capital Territory led by Mamman Vatsa , Hamza Abdullahi and later General Gado Nasko , led the regime's relocation of the seat of government from Lagos to Abuja on 12 December 1991. Babangida strengthened
5796-434: The war front in December 1969, commanding a battalion. In January 1970, Babangida was informed by his sectional commander General Theophilus Danjuma of the capitulation of the Biafran Army to the federal military government in Lagos, signaling the end of the war. In 1970, following the war Babangida was promoted twice and posted to the Nigerian Defence Academy as an instructor. From August 1972 to June 1973, he attended
5880-1225: The whole year. This is unlikely in view of the long-term supply contracts in the oil business and the sluggishness of the state-owned oil company NNPC . Babangida commented in 2022 on the above allegations that he and his staff had been "saints". This account should be assessed with as much caution as Forbes' calculation. During his military career, Babangida attained the following ranks: First Liberian Civil War [REDACTED] Liberian government [REDACTED] ULIMO (1991–1994) [REDACTED] LPC (1993–1996) [REDACTED] LUDF (later becoming ULIMO ) [REDACTED] LDF (1993–1996) Supported by: ECOMOG ULIMO: [REDACTED] Alhaji Kromah (ULIMO-K since 1994) [REDACTED] Roosevelt Johnson (ULIMO-J since 1994) [REDACTED] Raleigh Seekie † [REDACTED] General Butt Naked (ULIMO-J since 1994) [REDACTED] Jungle Jabbah (ULIMO-K since 1994) LPC: [REDACTED] George Boley LUDF: [REDACTED] Albert Karpeh † FDL: [REDACTED] Francois Massaquoi Foreign support: [REDACTED] Sani Abacha The First Liberian Civil War
5964-459: The younger brother of the late General Shehu Yar'Adua , as well as against General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau , given IBB's close relationship with the latter two. It is widely believed that his chances of winning were slim. In September 2010, Babangida officially declared his intention to run for the presidency in the 2011 presidential election in Abuja , Nigeria. Babangida was later urged by his military inner circle to withdraw his candidacy after
6048-636: The youngest members of the Supreme Military Council from 1 August 1975 to October 1979. Colonel Babangida crushed almost single-handedly the coup d'état of 1976 that resulted in the assassination of General Murtala Mohammed by taking back control of the Radio Nigeria station from the main perpetrator, Lieutenant Colonel Buka Suka Dimka . From January 1977 to July 1977, he attended the Senior Officers Course at
6132-644: Was Commanding Officer of 1 Reconnaissance Squadron from 1964 to 1966. From January 1966 to April 1966, Babangida attended the Younger Officers Course at the Royal Armoured Centre in the United Kingdom – where he received instruction in gunnery and the Saladin armored car . Lieutenant Babangida was posted with the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron in Kaduna , and witnessed the events of the bloody coup d'état of 1966 , which resulted in
6216-545: Was a strong supporter of Charles Taylor, was inaugurated in January 2006 and the National Transitional Government of Liberia terminated its power. Charles Taylor was sentenced to a trial in 2003, after being accused of rape and acts of sexual violence, promoting child soldiers, and an illegal ownership of weapons. He denied these accusations but was eventually testified against by his victims. He
6300-527: Was adopted, referred to as Option A4 . This process advocated that any candidate needed to pass through adoption for all elective positions from the local government, state government, and federal government. The 1992 parliamentary election went ahead as planned, with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) winning majorities in both houses of the National Assembly , but on 7 August 1992, the NEC annulled
6384-617: Was carried out by approximately 30 ethnic Krahn government soldiers, killing 600 civilians in St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Monrovia, on 29 July 1990, the worst single atrocity of the First Liberian Civil War. By May 1990 the AFL had been forced back to Gbarnga , still under the control of Bowen's troops, but they lost the town to a NPFL assault on 28 May. By June 1990, Taylor's forces were laying siege to Monrovia. In July 1990, Prince Yormie Johnson split from Taylor and formed
6468-482: Was instrumental in the transition to democracy. Babangida is one of the founders of the Peoples Democratic Party alongside other prominent military generals such as Aliyu Mohammed Gusau . They were said to have supported General Olusegun Obasanjo in the 1999 Nigerian presidential election in order to springboard themselves back to power. In August 2006, Babangida announced that he would run in
6552-570: Was led by Raleigh Seekie, a deputy Minister of Finance in the Doe government. After fighting alongside the Sierra Leonean army against the Sierra Leonean Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels, ULIMO forces entered western Liberia in September 1991. The group scored significant gains in areas held by another rebel group – Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), notably around
6636-422: Was orchestrated with a degree of military deftness hitherto not seen in the history of coup plotting. The whole affair carried out by Babangida as ringleader was planned at the highest levels of the army cultivating his strategic relationship with allies: Sani Abacha , Aliyu Gusau , Halilu Akilu , Mamman Vatsa , Gado Nasko , and younger officers from his days as an instructor in the military academy (graduates of
6720-412: Was still far off as both Taylor and Johnson claimed power. ECOMOG declared an Interim Government of National Unity (IGNU) with Amos Sawyer as their president, with the broad support of Johnson. Taylor launched an assault on Monrovia on October 15, 1992, named 'Operation Octopus' which may have been led by Burkina Faso soldiers. The resulting siege lasted two months. By late December, ECOMOG had pushed
6804-581: Was the first of two civil wars within the West African nation of Liberia which lasted between 1989 and 1997. President Samuel Doe 's regime of totalitarianism and widespread corruption led to calls for withdrawal of the support of the United States , by the late 1980s. The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) led by Charles Taylor invaded Liberia from the Ivory Coast to overthrow Doe in December 1989 and gained control over most of
6888-671: Was then sentenced to 50 years in prison. Peace agreements signed included the: Liberia during this civil war is one of the numerous locations worldwide depicted in The Savage Detectives ( Los Detectives Salvajes in Spanish), a novel by the Chilean author Roberto Bolaño published in 1998, just after the end of this war. The 2020 memoir by Liberian-American author Wayétu Moore , The Dragons, The Giant, The Women , recounts her family's flight from Monrovia when she
6972-528: Was thus arrested in the United States and after sixteen months broke out of a Massachusetts jail in circumstances that are still unclear. The NPFL initially encountered plenty of support within Nimba County, which had endured the majority of Samuel Doe's wrath after the 1985 attempted coup. Thousands of Gio and Mano joined when Taylor and his force of 100 rebels reentered Liberia in 1989, on Christmas Eve. Doe responded by sending two AFL battalions, including
7056-531: Was welcomed in Northern Nigeria , where there is a Muslim majority population. However, non-Muslims criticised the move likening it to an Islamisation agenda of Nigeria, a secular country. Babangida's then second-in-command Commodore Ebitu Okoh Ukiwe , opposed the decision to join the Islamic organization and was removed as Chief of General Staff. Close to the end of his tenure, he paid a state visit to
#217782