- Abubakar has recounted how Abacha died in 1998
- He later became Nigeria’s Head of State
- He said he was briefly held at the Villa before the news broke
Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has recounted the tense and unexpected circumstances surrounding the death of General Sani Abacha in 1998 and how he subsequently assumed leadership of Nigeria.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that in his autobiography Call of Duty, that which will be launched in Abuja as part of his 84th birthday celebrations, Abdulsalami provided a detailed account of the political events that unfolded at the time.
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According to him, he was summoned early on June 8, 1998, under the impression that Abacha wanted to see him, but the situation soon took a strange turn when he arrived at the Presidential Villa.
He explained that instead of meeting the Head of State, he was directed to a waiting room where he remained for over an hour without any clarification, alongside other senior military officers.
Abdulsalami said the atmosphere became suspicious when the room was unexpectedly locked, raising concerns that something unusual was happening behind the scenes.
He further narrated that the Inspector-General of Police at the time, Ibrahim Coomassie, later arrived and eventually broke the news that General Abacha had died.
Shocked by the revelation, Abdulsalami said he was led to see the late leader’s body, after which he offered prayers for him.
He noted that he was not informed who ordered the confinement, but hinted that certain military figures may have had different intentions during the power transition.
Following Abacha’s death, Abdulsalami was later selected by the Provisional Ruling Council as Nigeria’s new Head of State.
He went on to oversee a brief transition process that eventually returned the country to civilian rule in May 1999 under President Olusegun Obasanjo.
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