I Was Misled to the Villa and Confined in a Room – Ex-Head of State Speaks on Abacha’s Death

Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has narrated the dramatic events that followed the death of General Sani Abacha in 1998 and how he eventually became Nigeria’s military leader.

It was learnt that Abdulsalami made the disclosure in his autobiography, Call of Duty, to be unveiled in Abuja to mark his 84th birthday.

In the book, the retired general said he was told Abacha wanted to see him on the morning of June 8, 1998.

When he arrived at the Presidential Villa, Abdulsalami said he was detained in a room for more than one hour without any explanation.

He said he stayed there until the then Inspector-General of Police, the late Ibrahim Coomassie came to open the door.

The incident happened shortly after Abacha’s death, an event that changed the course of Nigeria’s political history.

His autobiography which is published by Cable Books, an imprint of Cable Media & Publishing Ltd, brings out new facts about the happenings of that time.

The book is available on Amazon and is being distributed nationwide through Rovingheights Bookstores.

He wrote: “I received a telephone call very early in the morning on Monday, 8 June that he (Abacha) wanted to see me. I silently prayed that he would not send me to Togo where there was going to be an ECOWAS summit. I was tired of visiting everywhere.

“By this time, Lt-General Diya, his No 2, was in detention (on an alleged coup plot). I was kind of the No 2 man in government and I was always representing him at events. “I told my wife I was unhappy with the call because I didn’t want to go to Togo. I asked my batman to pack my bag and my other personal belongings for travelling.

There was another call as I entered the bathroom. Again I was told, “The Head of State wants to see you.” I said in frustration that I was travelling to Togo and the caller said it was on another issue. I didn’t put on my uniform because it was urgent. I put on a tracksuit and slippers and went to the Presidential Villa.

‘When I reached his home I was told he was in the office. I wondered why he was in the office so early. As I was getting up the stairs, one of the guards told me that Abacha had said I was to return to the waiting room. “What I found was, if I went to see him, and there was anyone with him, I would still go in.

“After waiting for about half an hour I thought it was strange. Soon after, Major-General Ishaya Bamaiyi joined me. We waited nearly an hour. I chose to go and see Abacha at all cost as I did not understand why I should be kept for that long. The door of the waiting-room was locked, to my extreme surprise. I asked Bamaiyi if he knew we had been locked inside. “Something kept telling me something was wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on it,” he said.

After a while the door opened and the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, came in. He said, “Let’s go.” We went to the residence and I told him I was told that Abacha was in the office. It was at this stage that he told me Abacha had died. This threw me. I asked him what was happening and insisted we go first. He said no more to me.

“When we got to the house, I asked to see Abacha’s body. They said it was inside. I walked into the room and removed the covering. I was taken by surprise by the turn of events. I prayed for him, and left the room.”

He did not say who gave the order to lock the waiting room door but suggested some military officers had “other plans” as things progressed.

A vote by the Provisional Ruling Council (PRC) later in the day named Abdulsalami as Abacha’s successor.

He oversaw a very short transition programmed and handed over to a democratic elected government led by President Olusegun Obasanjo in May 1999.