How Abacha Died: “The Lady Who Was With Him Was Unaware He Was Dead, She Told Me: I Did Not Kill Him” –   Rtd  DSS Director

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Contrary to widespread speculations, a retired Assistant Director of the Department of State Service DSS , Dennis Amachree ,has said that former maximum ruler, General Sani Abacha may have died of heart-related complications while he was with a female friend.

The Source reports that late General Abacha who presided over the affairs of Nigeria between 1993 and June 1998  died while in company with some female guests at the Presidential Villa.

He was widely believed to have died under hazy circumstances, with not a few suspecting conspiracy.

But while speaking on his newly published book during an interview session with the TVC News, on Thursday, Amachree dismissed the conspiracy theory, and  pointed out that available evidence suggest heart attack as the primary cause of death.

According to the former DSS Director, most of the accounts on the death of the former Head of State  are  mere conjectures and rumours, not necessarily based on any verifiable first hand knowledge of what actually transpired.

He emphasized that most people who have offered suggestions on the possible cause(s) of the death of Abacha had done so from a complete uninformed positions.

“A lot of people have come up with different stories on what happened. But they are not aware of the facts of the matter.

“They have been looking at events from the outside, and, thereafter, drawing conclusions.

“Some have even claimed that certain actions caused his death, but they are not doctors and, therefore, cannot with certainty say what killed him”, he stated.

Amachree particularly noted that in the wake of the incident in 1998,  investigators, including himself, had interrogated a young woman who was with the late Head of State at the time of his death.

Although he did not reveal details of the encounter with the lady, he emphasized that her testimonies still remain the only direct account of events pre-Abacha’s death.

Amachree, revealed that the lady in question had arrived at the Villa together with her sister who was believed to be close to the late Head of State.

“The girl who was with him (Abacha) when he died was later brought to me for questioning.

“When she entered my office, the first thing she said was ” I did not kill him”. She was very direct about it.

“After extensive questioning, I found her account of events credible. Her account remains the only true eyewitness account of what happened. Nobody else was with the two of them in the room.

“So, my interactions and later findings convinced me that the former Military Ruler died of natural causes. From everything she told me, and from what I gathered during the investigations, I strongly believe that he died of heart attack.

“In fact, the young woman initially never knew that Abacha was actually dead while they were together in the room.

” She only realized that something was wrong later. In my honest assessment of the matter, he died of a heart attack” Amachree stated