Jelili Gbadamosi
Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer to late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, has dismissed claims made by a former Department of State Services (DSS) operative, Dennis Amachree, regarding the circumstances surrounding Abacha’s final moments.
Speaking with journalists after the Memorial Conference on General Hassan Usman Katsina at Arewa House in Kaduna on Saturday, Al-Mustapha described Amachree’s account as false and urged Nigerians to disregard it.
It was gathered that Amachree, a retired Assistant Director of the DSS who served during the Abacha administration, recently presented his version of the late military ruler’s final movements in a newly published book, sparking reactions from former government officials and members of the public.
Rejecting the claims, Al-Mustapha alleged that the account was fabricated and did not reflect what actually 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.
The retired army major maintained that he possessed evidence capable of contradicting the account contained in the publication but did not provide further details about the alleged footage or indicate whether it would be made public.
He urged Nigerians not to accept the claims, insisting that it was wrong to make allegations against a deceased person who could no longer defend himself.
“Just ignore his lies. It’s bad to say such things about someone who is dead,” he added.
Abacha, who took power through a military coup on November 17, 1993, ruled Nigeria until his sudden death at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on June 8, 1998.
The Federal Government announced at the time that he died after a sudden illness, but 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 differing accounts of Abacha’s final hours through books and interviews.
Al-Mustapha, one of Abacha’s closest aides during his administration, has consistently rejected narratives he believes misrepresent the late Head of State and the events surrounding his death.
