Dennis Amachree, a former assistant director of the Department of State Services (DSS), has shared his account of the final moments of Sani Abacha, ex-head of state.
Abacha was Nigeria’s military ruler from November 1993 to June 1998.
His passing on the throne has been shrouded in controversy and conspiracy theories.
Accounts of human rights abuses and an iron-clad rule continue to trail the Abacha era.
According to The Nation, Amachree gave his version of Abacha’s final moments in his new book titled: ‘DSS @40: My journey behind the shield’.
Amachree, who was assistant director of operations and intelligence at the Lagos DSS command at the time of Abacha’s demise, said the late military leader passed on in the presence of a lady during an intimate affair, around 4:05am, at the presidential villa in Abuja.
He added that the lady fled the scene and immediately hopped on the next flight to Lagos.
The retired DSS staffer said the lady and her older sister, who was Abacha’s girlfriend, had arrived at Aso Rock, the nation’s seat of power, on the day of the incident.
Amachree said Abacha’s girlfriend left her younger sister at the villa with the late general.
“At approximately 2.40 am, shortly after Gen. Useni left, Abacha’s girlfriend, an Igbo lady (name withheld), arrived at the Aso Rock Guest House from the Nicon Nogs Hilton Hotel,” excerpts from the book read.