Former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has offered a fresh account of the final hours of Nigeria’s late military ruler, General Sani Abacha, claiming the former Head of State died during an intimate encounter at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Amachree made the revelation in his newly released memoir, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield. The retired intelligence officer said his account challenges the long-standing conspiracy theories that have surrounded Abacha’s sudden death on June 8, 1998.
Amachree describes events before Abacha’s death
According to excerpts from the book reported by The Nation, Amachree was serving as Assistant Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Lagos DSS Command when Abacha died.
He alleged that Abacha’s girlfriend arrived at the Aso Rock Guest House shortly after 2:40 a.m. alongside her younger sister, a pharmacist who was attending a conference in Abuja.
He said the late military ruler had recently bought his girlfriend a new SUV, prompting the visit.
Amachree claimed the girlfriend later returned to her hotel, leaving her younger sister alone with Abacha.
He said that around 4:05 a.m., while they were together, the pharmacist noticed the Head of State had suddenly become unresponsive.
According to the retired DSS official, the woman checked for a pulse but found none.
In panic, she reportedly dressed, informed a security guard that Abacha had requested a vehicle to return her to her hotel, and left the villa.
The guard, unaware of the situation, arranged transportation for her. After reaching the hotel and informing her sister, she was reportedly taken to Abuja Airport, where she boarded an early morning Okada Air flight to Lagos.
DSS investigation after the incident
Amachree said Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Abacha’s Chief Security Officer, was informed of the General’s condition around 5:00 a.m. By then, the woman who had been with Abacha had already departed Abuja.
He said the DSS immediately launched efforts to locate the women. While the older sister was found at the hotel, the pharmacist had already travelled to Lagos.
Amachree said he later received instructions from the DSS headquarters to trace and question the pharmacist.
According to him, his team located her in Ogudu, Lagos, and brought her in for questioning.
He recalled that her first words during the interrogation were: “I did not kill him, he died on top of me.”
Amachree said the pharmacist gave a detailed statement before she was flown back to Abuja.
Claims challenge long-standing conspiracy theories
The retired DSS officer maintained that the woman’s testimony contradicts the many theories that have circulated for decades about Abacha’s death, including claims involving foreign women or poisoning.
He wrote that, based on the account obtained during the investigation, Abacha apparently suffered a cardiac arrest during intercourse.
Abacha ruled Nigeria from November 1993 until his death in June 1998.
His administration remains one of the country’s most controversial military governments, with widespread allegations of human rights abuses and political repression.
His death came less than a month before the passing of Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, who died while in government custody after years of detention.
