\u2022 A new book by a retired security chief reveals the last moments of a dictator \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI did not kill him, he died on top of me,\u201d that was the confession of the lady who was with former military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, when he suddenly passed on.<\/p>\n
A retired security operative, Dennis Amachree, said the lady, a pharmacist, made the confession when he interrogated her over Abacha\u2019s mysterious death.<\/p>\n
Amachree, who gave his own version of Abacha\u2019s last moments, clarified that the former military ruler passed on around 4.05 am on June 8, 1998, at the Aso Villa, Abuja, in the presence of the lady during an intimate affair.<\/p>\n
Gen. Abacha was Nigeria\u2019s military ruler between November 1993 and July 1998 when he suddenly passed on.<\/p>\n
He was the seventh military leader. He died at 54.<\/p>\n
Given the manner of his death, there were speculations about what killed him and the circumstances of his death.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lady pharmacist\u2019s account, on whom Abacha apparently had a coitus-induced cardiac arrest, remains the true position, and puts an end to the conspiracy theories and half-truths that have gone viral,\u201d he stressed.<\/p>\n
Amachree, who was the Assistant Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Lagos State SSS Command, at the time of Abacha\u2019s death, emphasised that \u201cany other narrative is an act of deceit and a disservice to our countrymen and women.\u201d<\/p>\n
He made the revelation in his 348-paged book, just released, titled: \u2018DSS @40: My journey behind the shield. The\u00a0 retired Assistant Director of Department of State Services (DSS) said after witnessing Abacha\u2019s death, the lady-pharmacist immediately joined the next flight to Lagos.<\/p>\n
Amachree stated in Chapter 17 of the book titled: \u2018The months of death: A turning point in Nigerian history,\u2019 that he interrogated the lady in Ogudu,\u00a0 Lagos, following a call from the Director of Operations at the DSS National Headquarters.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cMy team located and brought her to my office. I interrogated her myself. The first thing she said to me was : \u2018I did not kill him, he died on top of me.\u2019 After her detailed account, I called the Director in Abuja, and she was immediately flown back.\u201d.<\/p>\n
Abacha died barely a month before the death of Chief Moshood Abiola, winner of the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, on July 7, 1998, who was in Abacha\u2019s custody.<\/p>\n
Following the protest and furore that followed Military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida\u2019s annulment of Abiola\u2019s victory, he stepped aside and installed an unelected civilian Chief Ernest Shonekan as interim head of state with General Abacha as defence minister.<\/p>\n
Nigerians roundly rejected the arrangement and Gen. Abacha took that advantage to force out Chief Shonekan, barely three months after. Gen. Abacha then became the head of state and a full blown dictator.<\/p>\n
Amachree noted that \u201cAbacha\u2019s five and half year rule was a period of extreme authoritarianism and brutal repression, adding that his regime\u00a0 was widely condemned for widespread human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and extra-,judicial killings.<\/p>\n
The author said \u201cthe number of political detainees during his tenure reportedly exceeded the total from the entire British colonial period.<\/p>\n
Few days before he died, the dictator received emmisaries from the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) leader, Yasser Arafat. He also received Pope John Paul 11, who had visited Nigeria to plea for the release of detainees.<\/p>\n
Indeed, the Pope was the last visitor that Gen. Abacha received.<\/p>\n
Amachree acknowledged the\u00a0 enduring speculation and misery surrounding Abacha\u2019s death, consequent upon the conflicting narratives. Many accounts were published, but few were based on verifiable facts. \u201cThese range from fictional stories of a poisoned apple from disaffected soldiers, to more sensational claims involving foreign intelligence agencies.<\/p>\n
Setting the record straight<\/p>\n
The author disputed the claims of six people, whose narratives never resolved the riddle.<\/p>\n
The first is David Orr of The Irish Times. Of his speculation, the author stated: \u201cA journalist\u2019s account cited an unnamed diplomat claiming Abacha was poisoned by a small group of disaffected military officers. While dramatic, this narrative was contradicted by a Nigerian newspaper report citing autopsy results that ruled out poisoning.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Susan Rice\u2019s testimony,\u00a0 Amachree said:\u201d The former US National Security Advisor\u2019s account, while condescending, echoed the widespread rumour that Abacha died in the company of prostitutes, possibly due to Viagra use. This version, while popular, lacks concrete evidence and is dismissed by those close to the late Head of State.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also rejected Major Hamzat Al-Mustapha\u2019s account, saying: \u201cAs Abacha\u2019s Chief Security Officer, his account is often considered a key source, though it contains notable inconsistencies. He claimed Abacha\u2019s health collapsed after a handshake with a security guard of a visiting dignitary. This version, while exonerating the \u201cpoisoned apple\u201d theory, differs significantly from other timelines and accounts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Also dismissing the late Gen. Jeremiah Useni\u2019s suggestions, Amachree said: \u201cA close friend of Abacha, Useni\u2019s narrative provides a different timeline of events, contradicting Al-Mustapha\u2019s account regarding the final hours. He supported the official story of death by natural causes, citing autopsy results from multiple countries.\u201d<\/p>\n
The opinion of a medical officer, Brig-General Oviemo Ovadje, was also rejected. \u201cHis account offers a different perspective, suggesting Abacha\u2019s death was a result of long- term health issues exacerbated by poor medical management, including the use of steroids.\u201d<\/p>\n
The author dismissed Femi Fani-Kayode\u2019s speculation. He said the former Aviation Minister\u2019s social media posts present a conspiracy theory alleging a CIA-orchestrated plot involving a poisoned handshake, with the complicity of other former Nigerian leaders.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile lacking evidence, this narrative highlights the deep-seated public distrust and willingness to believe external forces are pulling the strings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amachree said the most sensational of these stories of imported Indian prostitutes, a poisoned apple, and CIA involvement have been widely circulated, muddying the historical record.<\/p>\n
He said he therefore, decided to clarify the authentic and accurate fact. \u201cAs a security professional who was in the thick of it, I feel compelled to set the record straight and provide the true narrative for posterity, the author added.<\/p>\n
The most important account was that of Al-Mustapha, being the closest officer to him. He has consistently tried to defend his late boss\u2019 image, attributing his death to a mysterious handshake from a foreign security operative.<\/p>\n
He claimed that Abacha\u2019s health declined after shaking hands with a member of PLO leader Yasser Arafat\u2019s entourage on June 8.<\/p>\n
According to his account, Abacha was stabilised by a doctor at 6pm and was receiving visitors until Gen. Useni left at 3.35pm the following day. Al- Mustapha\u2019s explanation ends there, claiming he went home to rest and was only alerted to Abacha\u2019s instability at 5 am.<\/p>\n
Amachree insisted that Al-Mustapha\u2019s account has a critical gap, stressing that \u201c he missed the one and half window after Gen. Useni\u2019s departure that provides the key to the mystery.\u201d<\/p>\n
In paragraph five of page 250 sub-titled: \u2018The final hours,\u2019 the retired Assistant DSS Director gave a full details of Abacha\u2019s last moments.<\/p>\n
His account: \u201cAt approximately 2.40 am, shortly after Gen. Useni left, Abacha\u2019s girlfriend, an Igbo lady (name withheld), arrived at the Aso Rock Guest House from the Nicon Nogs Hilton Hotel. With her was her younger sister, a pharmacist who was in Abuja for a conference. The Head of State had just bought his girlfriend a new SUV, and they decided to stop by to say hello to \u201c Oga.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAbacha was taken with the younger sister, and after a short while, the girlfriend returned to the hotel, leaving the pharmacist alone with the Head of State. At about 4.05 am, as they were getting intimate, the pharmacist realized Abacha had stopped moving. She called out to him, but he was unresponsive and stiff. She checked his pulse; there was none.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a state of panic, she quickly dressed and left the guest house, telling the soldier in guard duty that \u201cOga\u201d had asked\u00a0 for a car to take her back to her hotel. The soldier, unaware of the gravity of the situation, promptly arranged for her transportation. She returned to the Hilton, and after telling her sister what had happened, was quickly driven to the Abuja Airport to catch the 7.am Okada Airline flight to Lagos.<\/p>\n
Search for the last guest<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the window Major Al-Mustapha missed. When he was finally informed of Abacha\u2019s instability at 5 am, he asked who had been with the General. He was told about the girlfriend\u2019s younger sister, whom they had just dropped off at the Hilton. The State Security Service (SSS) was immediately informed and went to the Hilton to arrest the girlfriend, but the pharmacist they urgently needed was already on her way to Lagos.\u201d<\/p>\n
In paragraph five of page 251 sub-titled: \u2018The interrogation and the truth,\u2019 Amachree stated: \u201cAt approximately 8 am on June 9, 1998, as the Assistant Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Lagos State SSS Command, I received a call from the Director of Operations at SSS National Headquarters. He informed me of Abacha\u2019s death and ordered me to\u00a0 send operatives to an address in Ogudu, Lagos, to arrest a young pharmacist.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy team located and brought her to my office. I interrogated her myself. The first thing she said to me was: \u201cI did not kill him, he died on top of me.\u201d After her detailed account, I called the Director in Abuja, and she was immediately flown back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amachree recalled that \u201clater that day, the news broke, and the media, with their \u201cfertile imagination,\u201d began to spin takes of imported Indian girls and poisoned apples.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alluding to what he described as the broader implications of the falsehood, he said: \u201cThe confusion surrounding Abacha\u2019s death is a microcosm of a larger problem in Nigeria: a leadership culture steeped in falsehood and a lack of accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that \u201c the deliberate suppression of facts and the promotion of misinformation by those who should be held to a higher standard have kept the country in a retrogressive circle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amachree warned that power is transient and no condition is permanent.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cAbacha, a military dictator who surrounded himself with a seemingly impenetrable security detail, thought he was invincible. Yet, in the end, death kept it\u2019s appointment with him, rendering his concentric rings of security useless.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis story is a poignant reminder that power is transient and that no amount of security can shield a leader from their ultimate fate.\u201d<\/p>\n
The author raised some puzzles: why did the Generals, close aides and politicians deliberately propagate false narratives about Abacha\u2019s death? Who fed the media with these fake stories?<\/p>\n
Warning against fabrications, Amachree said: \u201cWhile the truth may be suppressed temporarily, the forces of human curiosity and investigative inquiry will ultimately bring it to light.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before Abacha died he had perfect the plan for self succession.<\/p>\n
He wanted to transmit from military dictator to civilian president.<\/p>\n
He formed five political party, put his men in charge of all of them and made all of them to adopt him as their presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
The parties were struggling to do his bidding while giving the impression of a transition to democracy.<\/p>\n
A former political leader and second republic governor of Oyo State the late Chief Bola Ige famously described the five parties as five fingers of a leprous hand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u2022 A new book by a retired security chief reveals the last moments of a dictator \u00a0 \u201cI…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":340900,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[45],"tags":[160660,122],"class_list":["post-340899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nigeria","tag-dennis-amachree","tag-nigeria"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@africa\/116957632567955665","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=340899"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/340899\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/340900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=340899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=340899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=340899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}