Abacha’s Final Hours: Amachree Challenges Al-Mustapha to Produce CCTV Evidence

Former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has challenged retired Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, to produce evidence to counter the account of Abacha’s final hours contained in his memoir.

Amachree, who is the author of DSS@40, made the challenge in response to Al-Mustapha’s reported dismissal of portions of the book, insisting that any disagreement with the account should be backed by verifiable facts rather than personal attacks.

The controversy centres on Amachree’s account of the circumstances surrounding Abacha’s final hours and death, which Al-Mustapha has reportedly rejected.

Amachree maintained that the account published in his memoir was not presented casually or without institutional scrutiny. According to him, the book underwent official vetting by the DSS before it was published and received institutional backing as part of activities marking the agency’s 40th anniversary.

He said the DSS approved the publication and invited him from the United States to attend its launch, which, according to him, was attended by senior security officials, state directors of the service and members of the diplomatic community.

The former DSS officer argued that the circumstances surrounding Abacha’s final hours remain a matter of historical and public interest, particularly given the conflicting accounts that have emerged over the years.

Amachree, therefore, challenged Al-Mustapha to provide evidence if he disputes the account contained in the memoir.

He specifically asked the former Chief Security Officer to produce CCTV footage or any other credible evidence that could establish what happened during Abacha’s final hours and counter the version presented in the book.

The challenge comes amid an ongoing public disagreement over accounts of the late military ruler’s final moments, with different individuals who were close to the events offering varying narratives.

Amachree also rejected Al-Mustapha’s reported description of him as “a boy”, arguing that his professional career and rank within the DSS did not justify such a characterisation.

“I was seven years old when Nigeria gained independence,” Amachree said during a telephone interview.

He added, “I retired as an Assistant Director, which in army terms is equivalent to a Brigadier, while Al-Mustapha retired as a Major.”

Amachree said he would prefer a factual response to the issues raised in his book rather than what he described as personal criticism.

His position, he argued, was that if Al-Mustapha had firsthand knowledge of Abacha’s final hours that contradicted the account in DSS@40, he should present the evidence to support his version.

The former DSS official's challenge adds another layer to the long-running debate over the circumstances surrounding Abacha's death and the events leading up to it.

While Amachree has defended the account in his memoir, Al-Mustapha has reportedly dismissed it, setting the stage for a fresh exchange over competing narratives surrounding one of the most controversial moments in Nigeria's recent political history.

The dispute is likely to renew public interest in the circumstances surrounding Abacha's death and the accounts of those who were within his security circle or had access to information about his final days.

For now, the competing claims remain disputed, with Amachree insisting that his account was officially vetted and challenging Al-Mustapha to substantiate his rejection with evidence.