A former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has dismissed long-standing conspiracy theories surrounding the death of former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, saying evidence gathered during investigations pointed to a heart attack rather than foul play.
Amachree made the assertion in his newly released book and elaborated on the issue during an interview with TVC News.
Abacha died on June 8, 1998, while serving as Nigeria’s military ruler, and his sudden death has continued to generate debate and speculation over the years.
Speaking on the circumstances surrounding the former Head of State’s death, Amachree said many accounts that emerged after the incident were based on assumptions rather than firsthand knowledge.
“A lot of people have come up with different stories about what happened, but they were not aware of the facts. They were looking at events from the outside and drawing conclusions.
“Some even claimed certain actions caused his death, but they are not doctors and cannot say with certainty what killed him,” he said.
The former DSS official disclosed that investigators interviewed a woman who was reportedly with Abacha shortly before he died, describing her testimony as the only direct eyewitness account of what transpired.
According to him, the woman arrived at the residence with her sister, who was said to have known the former military leader.
“The girl who was with him when he died was later brought to me for questioning. When she entered my office, the first thing she said was, ‘I did not kill him.’ She was very direct about it,” he recalled.
Amachree said after extensive questioning, he found the woman’s account credible and had no reason to doubt her testimony.
“I had to believe her because she had no reason to lie to me. I did not create an atmosphere that would make her feel threatened.
“Her account remains the only true eyewitness account of what happened because nobody else was in that room with them,” he said.
Drawing from the testimony and findings of the investigation, Amachree maintained that Abacha died of natural causes.
“From everything she told me and from what I gathered during the investigation, I strongly believe it was a heart attack. She did not know he was dead while she was with him, but later realized something was wrong. In my assessment, his death was the result of a heart attack,” he stated.
For nearly three decades, Abacha’s death has remained a subject of public debate, with different theories advanced over the circumstances surrounding his sudden demise while in office.
