Retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar has disclosed startling details about the death of former Nigerian Head of State Sani Abacha in 1998, an event that thrust him into the position of head of state. The revelations come from his newly released autobiography, 'Call of Duty', which is being launched today in Abuja to mark his 84th birthday.
A Deceptive Call
According to the book, on the morning of June 8, 1998, Abdulsalami received a call indicating that Abacha wanted to see him. He initially feared he would be sent to Togo for an ECOWAS summit, a task he had grown weary of. Despite his reluctance, he prepared for the meeting, instructing his orderly to pack his travel bag.
However, a second call reiterated the urgency, prompting him to rush to the Presidential Villa without his uniform, clad only in a tracksuit and slippers. Upon arrival, he was directed to a waiting room, where he was kept for an unusually long time.
Locked In
Abdulsalami recounted that after waiting for about half an hour, Major-General Ishaya Bamaiyi joined him. After an hour, he attempted to see Abacha but discovered the door was locked. He asked Bamaiyi if he was aware they were locked in, and a sense of unease grew.
Eventually, the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Coomassie, opened the door and instructed Abdulsalami to follow him. When Abdulsalami asked why he was being taken to the residence instead of the office, Coomassie revealed that Abacha was dead. Shocked, Abdulsalami requested to see the body, prayed over it, and left.
Succession and Legacy
The book does not specify who ordered the door to be locked but implies that some military officers had alternative plans. Later that day, the Provisional Ruling Council voted Abdulsalami as Abacha's successor. He went on to oversee the transition to a democratically elected government under President Olusegun Obasanjo in May 1999.
'Call of Duty' is published by Cable Books, an imprint of Cable Media & Publishing Ltd, and is distributed nationwide by Rovingheights Bookstores, also available on Amazon.
