Former Chief Security Officer to late Head of State Gen. Sani Abacha, Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha, has dismissed as false claims made by former Department of State Services, DSS, operative Dennis Amachree about the final moments of the late military ruler, insisting he has evidence that contradicts the account.
Amachree, a retired Assistant Director of the DSS who served during the Abacha administration, recently published his version of the late head of state’s final movements in a new book.
The account has sparked reactions from former officials who served under the regime, as well as public debate on social media, amid renewed interest in the circumstances surrounding Abacha’s death.
Speaking with journalists after the Memorial Conference on General Hassan Usman Katsina at Arewa House in Kaduna on Saturday, Al-Mustapha urged Nigerians to disregard Amachree’s claims.
Rejecting the account, Al-Mustapha alleged that it was fabricated and did not accurately reflect what transpired. “The boy was asked by others to write those lies. I have all the CCTV footage of what happened in my custody, so what he said is not true,” Al-Mustapha said.
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The retired army major claimed he possesses evidence capable of disproving the version of events contained in the publication. However, he did not provide details about the alleged CCTV footage or indicate whether he intended to release it publicly.
He also argued that it was unfair to make allegations against someone who could no longer respond to them.
“Just ignore his lies. It’s bad to say such things about someone who is dead,” he said.
Abacha seized power in a military coup on November 17, 1993, and ruled Nigeria until his death at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on June 8, 1998.
At the time, the Federal Government announced that the head of state had died after a sudden illness. However, the circumstances surrounding his death have remained one of the most controversial episodes in Nigeria’s political history.
Over the years, former military officers, intelligence operatives, diplomats, and political figures have offered conflicting accounts of Abacha’s final hours through books, interviews, and public statements.
Al-Mustapha, one of Abacha’s closest aides during his administration, has consistently rejected narratives and allegations that he believes misrepresent the late head of state’s legacy or the events surrounding his death.
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