Al-Mustapha Rejects Ex-DSS Account Of Abacha Death

Hamza Al-Mustapha has rejected a former DSS operative’s account of the events around the death of former Head of State Sani Abacha, saying the claim was false.

Al-Mustapha, who served as Abacha’s Chief Security Officer, spoke with journalists on Saturday at the General Hassan Usman Katsina Memorial Conference at Arewa House, Kaduna. His comments followed renewed discussion of Dennis Amachree’s account in a memoir about his years in the security service.

Both reports said Al-Mustapha alleged that Amachree’s version did not reflect what happened on June 8, 1998. Punch and Daily Post quoted him as saying: “The boy was asked by others to write those lies. I have all the CCTV footage of what happened in my custody, so what he said is not true.”

He did not release the footage or say when he might make it public. He also urged Nigerians to disregard claims made against Abacha, arguing that the former ruler could no longer defend himself.

The exchange adds another public dispute to the long-running arguments over Abacha’s final hours and the accounts given by people who served in or around his government.

Sources: Punch, Daily Post