Former Military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, has shared that his experience during the Nigerian Civil War was neither pleasant nor palatable. Popularly known as IBB, he recounted fighting alongside classmates and colleagues who were on the opposing side, making the situation deeply saddening.

In an interview with Search FM, a radio station in Minna, the capital of Niger State, Babangida expressed that the wartime experience was uncomfortable but deemed necessary for the purpose of uniting the country.

He remarked, “It’s not a very nice experience I must say. First of all, you had people you went to school with, people you trained with, people who were your friends; suddenly, as a result of the war, you find yourselves facing each other on opposite sides. It was not very comfortable, but then, we had to do it. The purpose was to unite the country, to keep it one, not to break it. So that’s the uniquely sad aspect of a civil war, and I pray it never happens again.”

Babangida also shared that if he hadn’t pursued a military career, he would have become a civil engineer. He highlighted one of his achievements as serving the country to the best of his ability, acknowledging that it may not be universally satisfactory but leaving the judgment to history. Additionally, he emphasized that he related well with the people of the country, traveled extensively, made friends nationwide, and considered this as one of his greatest achievements.