Al-Mustapha Rejects Memoir on Abacha's Death, Claims He Has CCTV Footage of Final Moments

Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late Head of State General Sani Abacha, has claimed he possesses CCTV footage showing the military ruler's final moments, rejecting allegations contained in a recently published memoir that Abacha died during an intimate encounter with a woman.

Speaking with journalists in Kaduna, Al-Mustapha described as false claims made by retired Department of State Services (DSS) operative Dennis Amachree, who alleged in his memoir that Abacha suffered a coitus-induced cardiac arrest shortly before his death in June 1998.

According to Al-Mustapha, the account contained in Amachree's 348-page memoir, DSS @ 40: My Journey Behind the Shield, does not reflect what actually transpired.

"The boy was asked to write the lies by others. I have all the CCTV footages of what happened in my custody, so what he said are not true," Al-Mustapha said.

He urged Nigerians to disregard the allegations, arguing that it was unfair to make claims against someone who was no longer alive to defend himself.

"Just ignore his lies. It's bad to say such things about someone that is dead," he added.

Al-Mustapha further alleged that the retired DSS officer was acting on behalf of unnamed individuals.

"But I want to assure you that the author of the book is acting out a script. He is not acting alone.

"At the appropriate time, I will respond to these lies. You don't tell your enemies your plans," he said.

The former presidential security chief, however, did not provide further details about the alleged CCTV footage or explain when or where it was recorded.

The controversy follows the publication of Amachree's memoir, in which the retired intelligence officer claimed that Abacha died in the early hours of June 8, 1998, after suffering what he described as a cardiac arrest during an intimate encounter inside the Aso Rock Presidential Villa Guest House.

According to the memoir, the incident allegedly involved a Nigerian pharmacist. Amachree argued that his account settles years of speculation surrounding the circumstances of the late military ruler's death.

The publication has reignited public debate over one of the most controversial episodes in Nigeria's political history, with differing accounts continuing to emerge nearly three decades after Abacha's death.

General Sani Abacha ruled Nigeria from November 1993 until his death in June 1998 after seizing power in a military coup.

His administration remains one of the most controversial periods in Nigeria's history, marked by allegations of widespread human rights abuses, suppression of political opposition and large-scale corruption, alongside major infrastructure and economic initiatives.

Abacha's death came less than a month before the death of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, who died while in government custody.

The exact circumstances surrounding Abacha's death have remained the subject of speculation for years. While official accounts attributed his death to a sudden heart attack, alternative narratives have continued to surface, though none has been independently verified. Al-Mustapha's latest claims add another dimension to the longstanding debate but, as of now, no purported CCTV footage has been made public.