“I did
not kill him, he died on top of me,” that was the confession of the lady who
was with former military Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, when he suddenly
passed on. Interestingly, the lady was the sister of Abacha's girlfriend who had accompanied her sister to see the late dictator. Apparantly, Abacha's eyes fell on her and he decided to have intercourse with her. A retired security operative, Dennis Amachree, said the lady, a
pharmacist, made the confession when he interrogated her over Abacha’s
mysterious death.
Amachree,
who gave an account of Abacha’s 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.
Gen.
Abacha was Nigeria’s military ruler between November 1993 and July 1998 when he
suddenly passed on. He was the seventh military leader. He died at 54.
Given
the manner of his death, there were speculations about what killed him and the
circumstances of his death.
“The
lady pharmacist’s 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,” he stressed.
Amachree,
who was the Assistant Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Lagos
State SSS Command, at the time of Abacha’s death, emphasised that “any other
narrative is an act of deceit and a disservice to our countrymen and women.”
He
made the revelation in his 348-paged book, just released, titled: ‘DSS @40: My
journey behind the shield. The retired Assistant Director of Department
of State Services (DSS) said after witnessing Abacha’s death, the
lady-pharmacist immediately joined the next flight to Lagos.
Amachree
stated in Chapter 17 of the book titled: ‘The months of death: A turning point in Nigerian history,’ that
he interrogated the lady in Ogudu, Lagos, following a call from the
Director of Operations at the DSS National Headquarters.
He
said: “My team located and brought her to my office. I interrogated her myself.
The first thing she said to me was : ‘I did not kill him, he died on top of
me.’ After her detailed account, I called the Director in Abuja, and she was
immediately flown back.”.
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’s custody.
Following
the protest and furore that followed Military President Gen. Ibrahim
Babangida’s annulment of Abiola’s victory, he stepped aside and installed an
unelected civilian Chief Ernest Shonekan as interim head of state with General
Abacha as defence minister.
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.
ADVERTORIAL
For detailed information on our editing services, please
see inside
Amachree
noted that “Abacha’s five and half year rule was a period of extreme
authoritarianism and brutal repression, adding that his regime was widely
condemned for widespread human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests,
torture, and extra-,judicial killings.
The
author said “the number of political detainees during his tenure reportedly
exceeded the total from the entire British colonial period.
Few
days before he died, the dictator received emissaries 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.
Indeed,
the Pope was the last visitor that Gen. Abacha received.
Amachree
acknowledged the enduring speculation and misery surrounding Abacha’s
death, consequent upon the conflicting narratives. Many accounts were
published, but few were based on verifiable facts. “These range from fictional
stories of a poisoned apple from disaffected soldiers, to more sensational
claims involving foreign intelligence agencies.
The
author disputed the claims of six people, whose narratives never resolved the
riddle.
The
first is David Orr of The Irish Times. Of his speculation, the author stated:
“A journalist’s 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.”
On
Susan Rice’s testimony, Amachree said:” The former US National Security
Advisor’s 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.”
He
also rejected Major Hamzat Al-Mustapha’s account, saying: “As Abacha’s Chief
Security Officer, his account is often considered a key source, though it
contains notable inconsistencies. He claimed Abacha’s health collapsed after a
handshake with a security guard of a visiting dignitary. This version, while
exonerating the “poisoned apple” theory, differs significantly from other
timelines and accounts.”
Also
dismissing the late Gen. Jeremiah Useni’s suggestions, Amachree said: “A close
friend of Abacha, Useni’s narrative provides a different timeline of events,
contradicting Al-Mustapha’s account regarding the final hours. He supported the
official story of death by natural causes, citing autopsy results from multiple
countries.”
The
opinion of a medical officer, Brig-General Oviemo Ovadje, was also rejected.
“His account offers a different perspective, suggesting Abacha’s death was a
result of long- term health issues exacerbated by poor medical management,
including the use of steroids.”
The
author dismissed Femi Fani-Kayode’s speculation. He said the former Aviation
Minister’s social media posts present a conspiracy theory alleging a
CIA-orchestrated plot involving a poisoned handshake, with the complicity of
other former Nigerian leaders.
“While
lacking evidence, this narrative highlights the deep-seated public distrust and
willingness to believe external forces are pulling the strings.”
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.
He
said he therefore, decided to clarify the authentic and accurate fact. “As 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.
The
most important account was that of Al-Mustapha, being the closest officer to
him. He has consistently tried to defend his late boss’ image, attributing his
death to a mysterious handshake from a foreign security operative.
He
claimed that Abacha’s health declined after shaking hands with a member of PLO
leader Yasser Arafat’s entourage on June 8.
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’s
explanation ends there, claiming he went home to rest and was only alerted to
Abacha’s instability at 5 am.
Amachree
insisted that Al-Mustapha’s account has a critical gap, stressing that “ he
missed the one and half window after Gen. Useni’s departure that provides the
key to the mystery.”
In
paragraph five of page 250 sub-titled: ‘The final hours,’ the retired Assistant
DSS Director gave a full details of Abacha’s last moments.
His
account: “At approximately 2.40 am, shortly after Gen. Useni left, Abacha’s
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 “ Oga.”
“Abacha
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.
“In a
state of panic, she quickly dressed and left the guest house, telling the
soldier in guard duty that “Oga” had asked 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.
“This
is the window Major Al-Mustapha missed. When he was finally informed of
Abacha’s instability at 5 am, he asked who had been with the General. He was
told about the girlfriend’s 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.”
In
paragraph five of page 251 sub-titled: ‘The interrogation and the truth,’
Amachree stated: “At 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’s death and ordered me to send operatives to an
address in Ogudu, Lagos, to arrest a young pharmacist.
“My
team located and brought her to my office. I interrogated her myself. The first
thing she said to me was: “I did not kill him, he died on top of me.” After her
detailed account, I called the Director in Abuja, and she was immediately flown
back.”
Amachree
recalled that “later that day, the news broke, and the media, with their
“fertile imagination,” began to spin takes of imported Indian girls and
poisoned apples.”
Alluding
to what he described as the broader implications of the falsehood, he said:
“The confusion surrounding Abacha’s death is a microcosm of a larger problem in
Nigeria: a leadership culture steeped in falsehood and a lack of
accountability.”
He
added that “ 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.”
Amachree
warned that power is transient and no condition is permanent.
He
said: “Abacha, a military dictator who surrounded himself with a seemingly
impenetrable security detail, thought he was invincible. Yet, in the end, death
kept it’s appointment with him, rendering his concentric rings of security
useless.
“His
story is a poignant reminder that power is transient and that no amount of
security can shield a leader from their ultimate fate.”
The
author raised some puzzles: why did the Generals, close aides and politicians
deliberately propagate false narratives about Abacha’s death? Who fed the media
with these fake stories?
Warning
against fabrications, Amachree said: “While the truth may be suppressed
temporarily, the forces of human curiosity and investigative inquiry will
ultimately bring it to light.”
Before
Abacha died he had perfect the plan for self succession.
He
wanted to transmit from military dictator to civilian president.
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.
The
parties were struggling to do his bidding while giving the impression of a
transition to democracy.
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.
.jpg)
