Ex-DSS Director Reveals What Happened Before Abacha’s Death

According to Ireporter Online, former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has offered a fresh account of the events surrounding the death of former military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, in his newly released book, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield.

Abacha, who governed Nigeria from November 1993 until his death in June 1998, died while still in office, with the circumstances surrounding his passing remaining the subject of public debate and speculation for many years.

In excerpts from the book, Amachree said he was serving as Assistant Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Lagos Command of the then State Security Service when news of the military ruler’s death broke.

The retired intelligence officer claimed that a woman he described as Abacha’s girlfriend arrived at the Aso Rock Guest House in Abuja during the early hours of the day the former Head of State died. According to his account, the woman was accompanied by her younger sister, a pharmacist who was attending a professional conference in the Federal Capital Territory.

Amachree alleged that the younger woman was later left alone with Abacha after her sister returned to the hotel. He further claimed that the woman later discovered the former military leader had become unresponsive before leaving the guest house and requesting transportation back to her hotel without informing security personnel of the situation.

According to the former DSS official, security agencies later launched efforts to locate the woman after Abacha’s aides became aware of the incident. He said he received instructions from DSS headquarters to trace her in Lagos, where she was eventually located and questioned before being returned to Abuja.

Amachree stated that during the interrogation, the woman denied any involvement in Abacha’s death and gave her own account of the events that transpired.

The former intelligence officer argued that her version of events contradicted several long-standing claims and conspiracy theories surrounding the former Head of State’s death, including allegations involving foreign women and poisoned fruit. He maintained that her testimony suggested Abacha suffered a sudden cardiac emergency.

However, Amachree’s account represents his personal recollection as documented in his book and has not been independently verified through the published excerpts.

General Sani Abacha died on June 8, 1998, while serving as Nigeria’s military Head of State. His death came about a month before the passing of Moshood Abiola, the widely regarded winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, who died while in government detention.