By Our Correspondent
A new dispute has erupted over the circumstances surrounding the death of former Nigerian military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, after retired Department of State Services (DSS) director Dennis Amachree challenged former Chief Security Officer, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (retd.), to publicly release the CCTV footage he claims exists.
The challenge comes after Al-Mustapha dismissed claims contained in Amachree’s memoir, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield, in which the retired intelligence officer gave his account of the events leading to Abacha’s death in June 1998.
Reacting to Al-Mustapha’s denial, Amachree said the former security chief should back up his assertions with evidence by making the alleged CCTV recordings available for public scrutiny. He argued that releasing the footage would help clarify the conflicting narratives that have surrounded Abacha’s death for nearly three decades.
Amachree maintained that the information contained in his book is based on his professional experience and knowledge acquired during his years of service in the DSS. He insisted that his account reflects what he knew through his involvement in matters related to the investigation that followed the former military leader’s death.
Earlier, Al-Mustapha had rejected Amachree’s version of events, describing it as inaccurate. He also claimed that CCTV footage exists which captures what transpired during Abacha’s final moments, but the recordings have not been made public.
The latest exchange has once again revived public interest in one of Nigeria’s most debated historical events, with many observers calling for credible evidence to settle the differing accounts surrounding the late military ruler’s death.
For now, no CCTV footage has been released to support Al-Mustapha’s claims, leaving the controversy unresolved as Nigerians continue to await any evidence that could shed new light on the circumstances of General Abacha’s death.
