By Our Correspondent
A fresh controversy has erupted over the death of former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, following a strong rebuttal by his former Chief Security Officer, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, to claims made by retired Department of State Services (DSS) officer Dennis Amachree.
Al-Mustapha dismissed the allegations contained in Amachree’s recently published memoir, describing them as false, misleading and disrespectful to the memory of the late military leader. He urged Nigerians to avoid spreading what he called unverified stories about those who are no longer alive to defend themselves.
Speaking on the matter, Al-Mustapha insisted that the account presented by the former DSS officer does not reflect what actually happened during Abacha’s final hours. According to him, the narrative is an attempt to distort history and create unnecessary controversy around an event that has remained a subject of public debate for decades.
The former security chief also claimed that he possesses CCTV footage and other evidence capable of disproving the allegations made in the memoir. However, he did not publicly release the material or provide details on when it might be made available for independent verification.
The disagreement stems from assertions made by Amachree in his memoir, where he recounted his version of the circumstances surrounding General Abacha’s death in June 1998. The publication has generated widespread discussion across Nigeria, with many questioning the accuracy of the claims and calling for caution before accepting any single account as fact.
Political observers say the renewed exchange shows the continued public interest in one of the most talked-about moments in Nigeria’s political history. Nearly three decades after Abacha’s death, different accounts continue to emerge, reflecting the questions that still surround the events of that period.
As the debate continues, no independently verified evidence has conclusively established the exact circumstances described by either party. Analysts believe that any new evidence presented publicly would be carefully examined before it could be accepted as reliable.
For now, Al-Mustapha maintains that the late Head of State deserves fairness in historical accounts, insisting that truth—not speculation—should guide discussions about the past. The exchange has once again sparked conversations about Abacha’s legacy and the importance of accurate records of Nigeria’s history.
