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PROFILE: Some facts you may not have known about General Abacha

Gen. Sani Abacha was born on September 20, 1943 in Kano State. He was also raised in the same state, though originally he was from Borno state, a Kanurian. He became Nigeria’s Head of State via a coup in 1993. He ruled from November 17, 1993, to June 8, 1998.

Abacha was commissioned in 1963 after attending Mons Officer Cadet in Aldershot England. He attended the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna before then.

At the age of 23, Abacha, then a 2nd Lieutenant with the 3rd Battalion in Kaduna, took part in the July 1966 Nigerian counter-coup from the conceptual stage. 17 years later, in the orchestration of the 1983 Coup d’etat that brought Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to power, Abacha was more than prominent.

He later partook in the coup that removed the same Gen. Buhari in August 1985.

Abacha was named Chief of Army Staff. Owing to the success of that coup, General Ibrahim Babangida became the Head of States and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Abacha was appointed as the Minister of Defence in 1990.

Abacha’s Economic Achievement

It is wrong to assume that Gen. Abacha’s administration only had a negative impact on Nigeria. Though, there were several cases of human rights abuses of which the hanging of Ogoni activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, was foremost of them all, yet it cannot be denied that Abacha’s regime was not only outstanding in economic achievement, it was also incomparable.

The most outstanding evidence is that, in the space of four years (1993 to 1997), the country’s foreign exchange reserve rose from $494 million to $9.6 billion.

Also in addition was that, the external debt of the country was reduced from $36 billion in 1993 to $27 billion in 1997.

The economic strength of Abacha’s led administration became undisputed when it reduced an inflation rate of 54% inherited from Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida to 8.5% between 1993 and 1998.

Amazingly, all these were achieved at a time when the price of crude oil was at an average of $15 per barrel.
Also added to the above achievements, Abacha practically demonstrated the role of Nigeria as Africa’s giant by supporting the Economic Community of West African States. He would also send Nigerian troops to Liberia and Sierra Leone to help restore peace.

Abacha’s death

Before his death in June 1998, Abacha had announced in early 1998 that with the intention to cede power to civilian rule in October 1, elections would be held that August.

However, when in April of that same year, Abacha had succeeded in getting the country’s five parties to endorse him as their presidential candidate, it became clear that the election would have no element of competition.

But two months before the election, June 8 to be precise, Abacha passed away mysteriously in the Presidential Villa Abuja. And in accordance with Islamic tradition, he was buried on the same day.

Abacha’s death still remains a mystery till this day. And numerous are the stories that surround it.

But according to Al-Mustapha, Abacha’s Chief Security Officer, Abacha’s death was planned.

“Contrary to insinuations, speculations and said rumors initiated by some sections of the society, I maintain that the sudden collapse of the health system of the late Head of State started the previous day (Sunday, 7th June, 1998) right from the Abuja International Airport immediately after one of the white security operatives or personnel who accompanied President Yasser Arafat of Palestine shook hands with him (General Abacha)”.

“I had noticed the change in the countenance of the late Commander-in-Chief and informed the Aide-de-Camp, Lt. Col. Abdallah, accordingly. He, however, advised that we keep a close watch on the Head of State”

”Later in the evening of 8th June 1998, around 6 p.m; his doctor came around, administered an injection to stabilize him. He was advised to have a short rest”.

“Happily, enough, by 9 p.m; the Head of State was bouncing and receiving visitors until much later when General Jeremiah Timbut Useni, the then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, came calling”.

“He was fond of the Head of State. They were very good friends. They stayed and chatted together till about 3.35a.m”.

“A friend of the house was with me in my office and as he was bidding me farewell, he came back to inform me that the FCT Minister, General Useni was out of the Head of State’s Guest House within the Villa”.

“I then decided to inform the ADC and other security boys that I would be on my way home to prepare for the early morning event at the International Conference Centre”.

“At about 5 a.m; the security guards ran to my quarters to inform me that the Head of State was very unstable. At first, I thought it was a coup attempt”.

“Immediately, I prepared myself fully for any eventuality. As an intelligence officer and the Chief Security Officer to the Head of State for that matter, I devised a means of diverting the attention of the security boys from my escape route by asking my wife to continue chatting with them at the door – she was in the house while the boys were outside. From there, I got to the Guest House of the Head of State before them”.

“When I got to the bedside of the Head of State, he was already gasping. Ordinarily, I could not just touch him. It was not allowed in our job”.

“But under the situation on the ground, I knelt close to him and shouted, “General Sani Abacha, Sir, please grant me permission to touch and carry you.” I again knocked at the stool beside the bed and shouted in the same manner, yet he did not respond”.

“I then realized there was a serious danger. I immediately called the Head of State’s personal physician, Dr. Wali, who arrived the place under eight minutes from his house”.

“He immediately gave Oga – General Abacha – two doses of injection, one at the heart and another close to his neck. This did not work apparently as the Head of State had turned very cold. He then told me that the Head of State was dead and nothing could be done after all…”

It’s been over five decades since Abacha was commissioned; and until this day, the coup legend is remembered as the first and only military head of state who never skipped a rank to become a full-star General.

(Modified from Duke Oreva’s piece on Pulse.ng)

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