Former Chief Security Officer to late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (retd.), has dismissed claims that the former military ruler died during an intimate encounter, insisting he possesses CCTV footage that tells a different story.
Al-Mustapha made the claim in a statement reported by TheCable on Sunday, rejecting recent allegations contained in a memoir by a retired Department of State Services (DSS) officer.
Al-Mustapha Rejects Memoir’s Account
The controversy follows the release of DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield, written by former DSS operative Dennis Amachree.
In the book, Amachree claimed Abacha suffered a cardiac arrest during an intimate encounter with a woman at the Presidential Villa Guest House in the early hours of June 8, 1998.
He alleged that the woman later told investigators, “I did not kill him, he died on top of me.”
Responding to the account, Al-Mustapha described the narrative as false and maintained that CCTV recordings from the Presidential Villa contradict the claims.
Fresh Debate Over Abacha’s Death
General Abacha died on June 8, 1998, after ruling Nigeria for nearly five years.
Since his death, several conflicting accounts have emerged, including claims that he was poisoned or died during a sexual encounter.
Al-Mustapha has consistently rejected those narratives, previously arguing that Abacha collapsed after developing sudden health complications following an official engagement.
Calls for Release of Footage
Al-Mustapha has previously claimed to possess sensitive video recordings relating to major events during the Abacha administration, including footage connected to the deaths of both Abacha and Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola.
His latest statement has generated mixed reactions on social media, with some Nigerians urging him to publicly release the alleged CCTV footage, while others questioned why it has remained undisclosed for nearly three decades.
Neither the Abacha family nor other government officials had publicly responded to Al-Mustapha’s latest claims as of the time of filing this report.
