The death of Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s 10th head of state and Military dictator, is one of the important historical events that shaped Nigeria’s current democracy. Despite how crucial this event is to the advent of Nigeria’s fourth republic, it has been distorted and disfigured over time and many don’t even know the true details that surround the death of Nigeria’s most notorious dictator. Some believe that he was killed after eating a poisonous apple given to him by one of his concubines. There are even unverified reports that believe that he was assassinated while sleeping with female prostitutes. If these are untrue, how did Sani Abacha really die?
Who is Abacha
Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military officer and politician who ruled as the military head of state after seizing power in 1993 until he died in 1998. His seizure of power was the last successful coup d’état in Nigeria. He is a well-known kleptocrat and one of the most notorious dictators in history known for his unprecedented records of human rights abuses and several political assassinations. As the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Abacha issued a decree that placed his government above the jurisdiction of the courts effectively giving him absolute power.
Abacha was known for a lot of things one of which includes an unprecedented record of embezzlement in the history of Nigeria. According to historical reports, Abacha and his family were reported to have embezzled between $1 billion – $5 billion. On 7 August 2014, the United States Department of Justice announced the forfeiture of US$480 million, the largest in its history, to the Nigerian government. since then several other recoveries have been made all of which attuned to $4.4 Billion.
Aside from embezzling State funds, Abacha was known for flagrant Human rights abuses. He jailed Moshood Abiola for proclaiming himself the president, Olusegun Obasanjo, and General Shehu Yar’Adua for allegedly plotting a coup. Moshood Abiola and General Shehu Yar’Adua both died in custody. He also executed the environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and charged Wole Soyinka in absentia with treason. Abacah regime was notorious for cracking down ruthlessly on dissidents. He attributed several bombings across the country to the democratic coalition, arresting and charging members of the coalition with treason and terrorism.
Early reports of Abacha’s death
Sani Abacha died mysteriously on 8 June 1998, in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja. He was buried on the same day according to Muslim tradition and without an autopsy, fueling speculation that he may have been assassinated. The Family refused to state the cause of his death. However, foreign diplomats, including United States Intelligence analysts, that he may have been poisoned. His chief security officer, Hamza al-Mustapha, also believed he was poisoned by Israeli operatives in the company of Yasser Arafat. The Nigerian government later identified the cause of death as a sudden heart attack.
Three days after the mysterious death, the New York Times advanced the ‘apple poison” rumor after reporting that United States intelligence analysts say there is evidence that Gen. Sani Abacha, the Nigerian dictator who died unexpectedly last month, was poisoned while in the company of three prostitutes. On July 15, the Irish Times quoting the Nigerian government reported that Abacha died of a heart attack. But it went further to include that he was poisoned with spiked apple juice while with prostitutes.
The Associated Press (AP) reported on the day of the incident, that a notorious Nigerian dictator died of a heart attack. They further reported that heavily armed soldiers sealed off Abacha’s home and Office in the capital after his death and only top Army officials were allowed to enter the premises. The accumulation of these unconfirmed reports resulted in the myth of the apple poison death.
How Abacha really died
The Former Chief Security Officer of Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, has recently revealed the true details, of how the notorious military leader was killed, dismissing the insinuations that he died after eating an apple from his concubines.
Giving a detailed account of how the entire event transpired, Al-Mustapha said the sudden collapse of the health system of Abacha started on June 7, 1998, right from the Abuja International Airport, immediately after one of the security personnel, who accompanied President Yasser Arafat of Palestine shook hands with him. He noted that he noticed a change in the countenance of the late Abacha and immediately informed the Aide-de-Camp, Lt. Col. Abdallah, who advised that they keep a close watch on him.
Al-Mustapha noted that in the evening of the following day, Abacha’s doctor came around and administered an injection to stabilize him and advised him to have a short rest. He further revealed that Abacha was back to his normal self in the same evening, bouncing and receiving visitors including his very good friend General Jeremiah Useni, who both chatted till about 3.35 a.m. He noted that he left the military leader at his quarters after Useni left.
However by 5. am in the morning, a security guard ran to Al-Mustapha quarters to inform him that Abacha was very unstable. He noted that he initially thought it was a coup attempt, and immediately prepared for any eventuality. Upon getting to Abacha’s bedroom, He saw him gasping for breath. He immediately called the Head of State’s physician, Dr. Wali, who immediately administered two doses of injection, one at the heart and another close to his neck.
This was however too late as Abacha had turned very cold and eventually died. Al-Mustapha noted that he used special military communication gadgets to diplomatically invite the Service Chiefs, military governors, and a few former Nigerians to inform them of the fortunate or unfortunate event depending on your perspective. Dispelling the numerous rumors that arose as a result of the death, he said: “Again, I must reiterate that the issue of my boss dying on women was a great lie just as the insinuation that Abacha ate and died of poisoned apple was equally a wicked lie.
