Politics
‘Abacha died of cardiac arrest during intercourse,’ ex-DSS claims
A former senior operative of the State Security Services (SSS), Dennis Amachree, has claimed that Nigeria’s late military ruler, Sani Abacha, a general, died from a cardiac arrest during an intimate encounter at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, dismissing long-standing conspiracy theories surrounding the former Head of State’s death.
Amachree, who served as Assistant Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Lagos Command of the SSS, made the revelation in his newly released memoir, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield.
According to excerpts from the book published by The Nation, Amachree said Abacha died in the early hours of June 8, 1998, while in the company of a woman whom he identified only as a pharmacist and the younger sister of one of the late military ruler’s girlfriends.
He alleged that the woman fled the Presidential Villa after discovering that Abacha had become unresponsive and later travelled to Lagos before security operatives could locate her.
Recounting the events leading to the dictator’s death, Amachree said the woman arrived at the Aso Rock Guest House alongside her elder sister, who was reportedly in a relationship with Abacha.
According to him, after a brief visit, the elder sister returned to her hotel, leaving the younger woman alone with the Head of State.
“At about 4.05 a.m., as they were getting intimate, the pharmacist realised Abacha had stopped moving. She called out to him, but he was unresponsive and stiff. She checked his pulse; there was none,” Amachree wrote.
He claimed the woman quietly left the villa after informing a soldier on duty that Abacha had asked for a vehicle to return her to her hotel.
The soldier, unaware of the unfolding event, reportedly arranged transportation for her.
Amachree further alleged that the woman subsequently boarded a 7 a.m. Okada Air flight to Lagos before security officials launched efforts to trace her.
According to him, Abacha’s Chief Security Officer, Hamza Al-Mustapha, a major, only became aware of the situation around 5 a.m. and immediately ordered that the woman be found.
However, by the time operatives arrived at the Hilton Hotel where she had stayed, she had already departed for Lagos.
Amachree said he later received instructions from the SSS headquarters to locate and interrogate the woman in Lagos.
According to him, she was traced to Ogudu and brought in for questioning.
“The first thing she said to me was: ‘I did not kill him, he died on top of me,’” Amachree quoted the woman as saying.
He maintained that after taking her statement, she was immediately flown back to Abuja.
The retired SSS officer argued that her account supports his conclusion that Abacha suffered what he described as a “coitus-induced cardiac arrest.”
He also claimed the account debunks the numerous conspiracy theories that have circulated for nearly three decades, including allegations that Abacha was poisoned by foreign agents or died after consuming a poisoned apple.
Abacha, who seized power in a military coup in November 1993, ruled Nigeria until his sudden death on June 8, 1998, at the age of 54.
His government announced at the time that he died after a brief illness, but the circumstances surrounding his death have remained the subject of intense public speculation.
Over the years, several conflicting accounts have emerged, ranging from claims that he was poisoned by foreign intelligence agents to allegations involving foreign sex workers allegedly brought into the Presidential Villa.
No official inquiry has established the exact circumstances of his death, and successive governments have not released any autopsy report.
Amachree’s account is the latest insider narrative on the events surrounding Abacha’s final hours. However, his claims are based on his personal recollection as contained in his memoir and have not been independently verified.
Abacha’s five-year military administration remains one of the most controversial periods in Nigeria’s history, as his government was widely criticised by local and international human rights organisations over alleged widespread human rights abuses, suppression of political opposition, detention of pro-democracy activists, and restrictions on press freedom.
His regime also came under global condemnation following the execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists in 1995, an action that led to Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth.
After his death, Abdulsalami Abubakar, a general, assumed power and initiated a transition programme that culminated in the restoration of democratic rule on May 29, 1999.
Abacha died barely a month before the death in detention of Moshood Abiola, widely regarded as the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.
Abiola died on July 7, 1998, while in government custody during negotiations over his release, bringing to an end one of the most turbulent chapters in Nigeria’s political history.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.