Former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, on Friday arrived the Minna International Airport from Germany ending speculation that he might have passed on from an undisclosed illness.
Wearing a black kaftan and black cap to match, the 74-year-old landed around 3:30pm in a chartered aircraft marked N550 DR from a medical trip during which he was reported dead by a section of the media.
He arrived in company of his son, Aminu, and daughter, Halima, and was welcomed at the airport by his first son, Mohammed; daughter, Aisha; former Governor of Niger State, Abdulkadir Kure; former federal Permanent Secretary, Idris Adamu Kuta, and Umar Ndanusa.
He was immediately driven to his Hilltop mansion where he is expected to rest before briefing associates and the press on the state of his health.
Niger State governor, Abubakar Bello, welcomed Babangida from Germany, saying Nigeria still needs him around.
According to the governor, “despite unfounded rumour about the life of our national icon, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, we are grateful that it pleases Allah (SWT) to preserve his life and bring him back safely and healthier to continue in the good work of nation building.
“General Ibrahim Babangida remains one of the few leaders in this country that we still need around to tap from their wealth of experience and knowledge and we are grateful he is back and kicking like the old soldier he is.
“Your safe return has finally put a lie to the rumour and the evil machinations of those who are playing God. We are grateful to Allah (SWT) that He has silence them”.
Alhaji Mahmud Abdullahi, an aide of the retired General on Thursday described rumours that his principal had passed on as a figment of those who authored the report.
Hear him: “General Babangida is an international figure whose identity cannot be hidden whether alive or dead.
“I can tell you categorically that Gen. Babangida is alive and had crossed over from Germany to Switzerland two days ago without any problem and in fact, he spoke with many in Minna today.
“I can also tell you that nobody will hide his death from anybody. If IBB drops dead today, it will not take more than five minutes to announce it and the burial rites.”
Reacting to rumours of his own death Babangida told journalists on April 24, this year that he was not shocked or bothered because death is the end of all humans.
“The rumour does not shock me neither does it bother me because I know I must go and meet my creator.
“There is nothing really to worry about because my religion has told me much about death and we must all go at the appointed time.
“Therefore as a Muslim, I strongly believe everybody has to die. It could be now or in hundred years time or two days to come but the time doesn’t matter because nobody can predict that day or time,” the man popularly known as IBB stressed.
