On this day, 28 years ago, General Sani Abacha passed away in mysterious circumstances on Monday, June 8, 1998. This photo, taken on Saturday, March 21, 1998, with Pope John Paul II, was taken three and a half months before Abacha died. General Abdulsalami Abubakar is immediately behind and to Abacha's right.
Interestingly, it was widely reported and never denied that on June 8, 1998, the day he died, General Abacha had planned to retire then Major General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who was at the time the Chief of Defence Staff. As fate would have it, General Abdulsalami Abubakar became Head of State on June 9, 1998, the day after he was to have been retired.
His sudden death also saved the life of his deputy, Lt. General Oladipo Diya, and five others, who had been sentenced to death on Tuesday, April 28, 1998, for plotting a coup against General Abacha.
Ironically, General Diya would almost certainly have automatically become Head of State after General Abacha's death if he had been a little patient.
Diya would go on to outlive Abacha by twenty-five years, before he, too, sadly passed away on Sunday, March 26, 2023.
General Abacha ruled Nigeria with an iron fist, so, understandably, he got a lot of bad press. However, he was a very intelligent man, with a surprisingly good diction and command of the English language. He also had an uncanny ability to appear to be less intelligent than he actually was. Those who had dealings with him reported that he had an outstanding memory.
His main flaws were his vindictive belief in the use of lethal force to settle political scores and an overreliance on spiritualists and marabouts.
He had little of the charm of General Babangida and warmth, which made him rather unnecessarily abrasive when dealing with opposition to his rule.
One of his lasting legacies is the creation of the six geopolitical zones, which have become the basis for Nigeria's political structure and the rotation of power between Northern and Southern Nigeria.
Another legacy was the Petroleum Trust Fund, which faced criticism for its imbalance and for focusing on one part of the country over another. Nevertheless, the PTF did bring progress and helped grow the Nigerian economy.
Only God can judge him now. Therefore, on the 28th anniversary of his death, we commend General Sani Abacha to Almighty Allah, Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
Reno Omokri
Ambassador Designate to Mexico
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