Uwuma Precious
Lt. General Sani Abacha was so feared for his ruthlessness and expertise in coup plotting that long before he became a deadly dictator, he was nicknamed The Khalifa. Even the willy IBB who kept sacking and shuffling his AFRC in unprecedented unilateral ways never touched him.
Instead, he feted him with more positions and Abacha became even more powerful. At some point, he was Defence Secretary, Chairman Joint Chiefs and a Four Star General at the same time. Abacha became the only Nigerian to be promoted to an equal rank with the Head of State by the Head of state.
But Abacha was notoriously dumb. Even Babangida in The Tale of June 12, a book written by his PA, Omo Omoruyi, admitted that Abacha is “not bright upstairs.” He was also taciturn (for a notoriously daft person that’s cool!), hardly smiled nor removed his sunglasses even when inside a dark room.
He would later consolidate on the evil that was IBB. But while IBB was cunningly ruthless, eliminating perceived opponents through frame-ups, Military Tribunals, lies, deception, bribes, threats, letter bombs, etc, Abacha had no time for such finesse.
He had a group called the Strike Force led by Sergeant Rogers and Hamza al Mustapha. Kudirat Abiola, Pa Alfred Rewane, and many others would have a taste of their M.O. He attracted and kept the worst dregs of humanity around him.
As sanctions piled up and Nigerians suffered as their country became increasingly isolated as a pariah state, Abacha and his bunch of goons (including Nigeria’s current President who served him in the PTF) luxuriated in ignorant bliss and unconcern.
Policeman Zakari Biu of Boko Haram’s Kabiru Sokoto escape fame, also served as part of his torture tool. This was the man who slapped Chris Anyanwu, blinding her in one eye for publishing a story about Abacha.
Zakari Biu for his evils under Abacha, was summarily retired by OBJ (who also had a spell in Abacha’s jail). But in an abracadabra that would later be copied by pension thief Abdulrasheed Maina, after OBJ left Biu found himself back in the police force and was implicated for helping his kinsman and Boko Haram kingpin Kaburi Sokoto escape from custody.
There has been an ongoing debate as to the circumstances surrounding Abacha’s death. CNN reported that he died of heart attack. But many Nigerians believe he died having sex with prostitutes.
Yet, some doubt that the high-security conscious Abacha could be killed via a poisoned apple while having a romp. But those familiar with what he was doing in a guesthouse the night of the Major Gideon Orka coup when his Commander’s residence was under siege know not to doubt the rumoured events that led to his much-welcomed death on June 8, 1998.
The story went that when the coupists arrived at Abacha’s Flagstaff House residence that night, he was not there. They knew to kill him was crucial to the success of their coup so they tracked him down to a nearby guesthouse and shot up the entire place, but the man famous for his security consciousness eluded them again by hiding in a secret bedroom behind a wall with false panelling. He would later send for a car driven by his son Ibrahim (his driver was killed in the attack), escaped to a safer place and lunched a counter-attack on the plotters.
He emerged victoriously. Babangida gave him more honours for this and his murderous reputation tripled. Nigeria’s destiny became sealed.
Having participated in nearly every coup since July 1966, it was only meet that Abacha was eased into power in a smooth, Nollywoodesque coup. He would sodomize Nigeria for almost a decade. He died on June 8, 1998, but up to this day, the country is still going through the repatriation of the money he stole. He stole large!
As for the damage he wrecked on Nigerians, the scars, (scars?), the wounds are still fresh. It became a double tragedy and the very height of stupid insensitivity that a President would stand on the mandate given him by Nigerians to eulogize this evil man saying, “I don’t care what people say. I know Abacha built roads and hospitals”.
The Chilean politician who would attempt to launder Augusto Pinochet’s image, the unfortunate politician stupid enough to suggest that he does not care what the Nazis did because they built roads and hospitals for Germans will have his last appearance for political office on such a day.
These are sane people with respect for their history, their people, themselves. This isn’t about Rome not being built in a day. This is about a people with dignity and a sense of purpose and responsibility towards the sensibilities of those whose mandates they hold in trust and respect.
If you are familiar with General Abacha’s evils and you heard or read what President Buhari said of him and still you say your vote is reserved for this same Mohammadu Buhari, you need a rethink.
It’s perhaps time Nigeria should make History compulsory in our schools starting from JSS1. It’s now a matter of a national security.
