Former military president Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida has shared details about his marriage to his late wife, Maryam, including her conversion to Islam, in his newly released autobiography, *A Journey in Service.*
The book, unveiled on Thursday alongside a fundraiser for his presidential library, offers insights into their love story, tracing their journey from their early days in Kaduna to their life as a married couple.
Babangida recounted meeting Maryam, formerly known as Maria Okogwu, during their youth while he was residing at the unmarried officers’ quarters on Kanta Road, Kaduna.
He described being instantly drawn to her beauty, calling her “stunning” with an enchanting smile.
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Despite his military training in India and the UK, their bond remained strong, and he frequently visited her at the home of his close friend and cousin, Garba Duba.
At the age of 28, after surviving a life-threatening battle injury, Babangida made the decision to settle down.
While recovering from a chest injury at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, he reflected on his relationships and realized that Maryam was the one he wanted to marry.
He said, “I had settled on Maria as the woman I would wed before being discharged from the hospital, and as soon as I was discharged, I made my way to Kaduna, where she lived with her mother and uncle. I was anxious to share the good news with her: I had decided we were destined for a life together. I admired her greatly for her reserved nature and the fact that she was well brought up.
“I wanted to make my intentions known to her and was determined not to accept No for an answer. Fortune favours the bold, and it smiled upon me; I counted and still count myself lucky. Initially, Maria was highly sceptical of me as marrying material.
“She knew that I had a track record of being something of a man about town, and those were not the qualities she wanted in a husband. She was unconvinced of my capacity to be serious, and many people said as much to her.”
Babangida disclosed that faith was a fundamental aspect of his life, and he required Maryam to embrace Islam before their marriage.
He noted that this was not a challenge for Maryam, as she had been influenced by both Christian and Muslim family backgrounds.
“I shared with her the fact that my faith was an integral and essential part of my life and that I would require her to convert to Islam.
“Praise be to Allah; this was not a difficult decision for Maria. Being part-Christian and part-Muslim at birth and already living in a Muslim household, it was never going to be wholly uncharted territory for her.
“She adapted with relative ease to married life as a Muslim,” he stated.
Babangida also promised Maryam that he would not take multiple wives, a commitment he believed played a key role in strengthening their marriage.
The couple wed on September 6, 1969, and were blessed with four children—Aisha, Muhammad, Aminu, and Halima.
Maryam passed away from ovarian cancer in Los Angeles on December 27, 2009, at the age of 61.
Babangida admitted that life without her had been challenging but found comfort in the cherished memories of their time together.
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