thoth: Lets try to look at this more differently, lets assume that Al Mustapha was betrayed by Abubakar whom sold out to the requests of washington to hand over to a civillian regime with obasanjo as the prospective puppet. Lets assume that Babangida also wants Abacha dead and therefore naturaly joined clique and provided human assets and assistance in there numerous tries to assasinate Abacha. Lets also assume that Babangida's plan of assuming power(whether directly or by proxy) was bungled and shunned by Washington for a more smoother and favorable plan so Babangida did not get what he wants afterall . Lets assume that the clique and not necessary Babangida realized their objectives.

If i say that the same team that killed Yasser Arafat are the ones that killed Abacha would anyone believe me ?

thoth: Lets try to look at this more differently, lets assume that Al Mustapha was betrayed by Abubakar whom sold out to the requests of washington to hand over to a civillian regime with obasanjo as the prospective puppet. Lets assume that Babangida also wants Abacha dead and therefore naturaly joined clique and provided human assets and assistance in there numerous tries to assasinate Abacha. Lets also assume that Babangida's plan of assuming power(whether directly or by proxy) was bungled and shunned by Washington for a more smoother and favorable plan so Babangida did not get what he wants afterall . Lets assume that the clique and not necessary Babangida realized their objectives.

If i say that the same team that killed Yasser Arafat are the ones that killed Abacha would anyone believe me ?

mikeansy: ^^^^^^^

Was Abdusalami Abubakar the most senior Military officer at the time of Abacha's death? Yes or No?

GenBuhari: I am not sure , Gen.Jeremiah Useni, an Abacha loyalist possibly was most senior.
In any case Abdulsalami Abubakar clearly was not loyal to Abacha and Al Mustapha must have known this and that Abubakar was related to IBB, who was not on friendly terms with Abacha at that time.

GenBuhari: There were 2 ways of deciding Abacha's succession.

One was military rank

The other was seniority in the cabinet.

I am not sure which way round but Jeremiah Useni was highest in one category and Abdulsalami Abubakar was the highest in the other.

Al Mustapha engineered the decision to go Abdulsalami Abubakar's favour by informing him and his / IBB's supporters about Abacha's death first and informing Abacha's loyalist last of all. Why did he do this if he was not party to the plot to poison Abacha?

mikeansy: ^^^^^^^

Was Abdusalami Abubakar the most senior Military officer at the time of Abacha's death? Yes or No?

RedReact:
At that time, who was the senior-ranked military official between Abubakar and Useni? I wish to know.
One thing I guess is that all the officials in the cabinet were caught unawares in the cause of the death of the C-in-C, who was almost on the verge of becoming the civillian president at that time, so might have shown interest in the office at that time.
Another thing is that we cannot rule out the "fright" factor of some of the cabinet members on the fear of palace coup springing up among the officers at that time.
IBB might not be in good parlance with Abacha, but I don' think Abubakar was his loyalist; though he was played in the course of the return to democratic dispensation, as no one knew a retired general would come back to be the president at that time.

payless:


No. Jeremiah T. Useni was the most senior officer at the time. He was prevented from getting there because he was a "christian" and very political as he held political offices before.

GenBuhari: You do not think Abdulsalami Abubakar was loyal to IBB?
They cousins and have been close since childhood and till today.
Did you not remember that IBB suddenly from retirement gained the power to select Obasanjo as the next leader of Nigeria and direct the destiny of Nigeria once Abdulsalami Abubakar became military ruler.

The question I cannot find an answer is : why should Al Mustapha, the man Abacha had trusted with his personal security hand over power to IBB of all people.
That it is why I began to wonder, whether he was some how involved in Abacha's covert assassination especially since he was in the best position to allow Abacha's security to be breached.

GenBuhari: I am not sure , Gen.Jeremiah Useni, an Abacha loyalist possibly was most senior.
In any case Abdulsalami Abubakar clearly was not loyal to Abacha and Al Mustapha must have known this and that Abubakar was related to IBB, who was not on friendly terms with Abacha at that time.

GenBuhari: I am not sure , Gen.Jeremiah Useni, an Abacha loyalist possibly was most senior.
In any case Abdulsalami Abubakar clearly was not loyal to Abacha and Al Mustapha must have known this and that Abubakar was related to IBB, who was not on friendly terms with Abacha at that time.

payless:


I was at the villa on the day Abacha died. Everything was unusual. Federal Civil Service Commission which was in the villa was sealed off with military officers. My friend, Awal from Kano who his brother was a security officer at Aguda house told me something happened this morning but he wouldn't say. I lived in Abuja from 1995-2001. I had friends in the military and I know a lot of people who were very close Abacha family, Bamaiyi family, Useni family at Life Camp in Abuja and I know Abdulsalami Abukakar children and relatives.


After the death of Abacha, Al-Mustapha informed Bamaiyi before any other person. Then he told Abubakar. It was Bamaiyi who gave instruction of everything that happened immediately after Abacha died. Abdulasalami informed IBB. IBB came to Abuja as early as 11Am. There was a meeting called by IBB with the top Generals namely; Abubakar, Bamaiyi, Useni with Al-Mustapha present. During the meeting, IBB made it known that keeping Nigeria together was the most important thing. He advised that Useni was the most senior officer but he should not lead as he only had few months to retirement and his roles in political appointments. IBB told Bamaiyi he deserves to be Head of State but he should allow Abdulsalami to become head of state but Bamaiyi was not happy and started arguing that he was the first person to know about Abacha's death as early as 6AM. Bamaiyi said if he was power hungry he would have taken over because he was the Chief of Army officer and he was the closest and most trusted military officer to Abacha. He had the argument with IBB and ended up crying why they can't allow him to be Head of State. Bamaiyi told IBB that if he (Bamaiyi) was a muslim, they would have picked him to become head of state. He later gave the go ahead to let Abdulsalami become head of state.

GenBuhari:
Interesting, except that at the Oputa panel Bamaiyi claimed that Abdulsalami was first to be told and he met him already at the villa.

Also interesting that IBB was able to arrive at the villa so prompt 11am (is that not a sign that he was expecting something to happen at the Villa?)

payless:


Bamaiyi said that but I don't know why he said that. Based on Al-Mustapha account and other people's account, Bamaiyi was told first that something bad had happened, then Al-Mustapha called Abdulsalami Abubakar to tell him that Abacha had died. Abubakar called IBB immediately. In all, IBB already knew what was going on. I know IBB and Al-Mustapha killed Abacha. Abacha was few days away from arresting IBB because IBB had complained to an Emir that he won't support Abacha's plot to become civilian President. When IBB met an Emir to state his dipleasure about Abacha's intent, Abacha asked the Emir point blank to tell him about what they discussed. The Emir obliged and told Abacha what IBB said because the Emir feared the same this that happened to Dasuki. As a matter of fact, Abacha told Al-Mustpha to prepare for the arrest of IBB which was to happen that very weekend after Abacha died. Al-Mustapha was part of IBB security officers. Abacha promoted Al-Mustapha to the Chief Securoty Officer after IBB left. Al-Mustapha was more loyal to IBB than Abacha. Al-Mustapha was nobody without IBB. There is no single officer who worked for or with IBB that hates him. They all love him and loyal to him to the core.

Al-Mustapha was was betrayed by Abdulsalami because Al-Mustapha once humiliated him in the villa. Al-Mustapha actually told Abubakar to move fast being the Chief of Defense Staff, that he had just called Bamaiyi about the death of Abacha. It was Abdulsalami Abubakar who instructed the security personnel in the villa to be changed immediately and also fortified.

GenBuhari: Thank you!
That sounds very credible.

You said that Al Mustapha informed Gen. Bamaiyi first that "something had happened" (without telling him specifically that Abacha had died).
He told Abdulsalami Abubakar first that Abacha had died.

It was once Abacha was killed and IBB had control of power, that Abiola's fate was sealed. If you remember that Abiola was so afraid of IBB killing him after June 12th, that he left the country until IBB resigned.

GenBuhari: There were 2 ways of deciding Abacha's succession.

One was military rank

The other was seniority in the cabinet.

I am not sure which way round but Jeremiah Useni was highest in one category and Abdulsalami Abubakar was the highest in the other.

Al Mustapha engineered the decision to go Abdulsalami Abubakar's favour by informing him and his / IBB's supporters about Abacha's death first and informing Abacha's loyalist last of all. Why did he do this if he was not party to the plot to poison Abacha?

payless:


Exactly! IBB can kill anyone. Obasanjo knew this, so he told his wife Stella Obasanjo to cook all his food. Obasanjo wouldn't taste anything cooked or made by anyone except his wife. Imagine Stella had to ship raw food for Obsanjo from Abeokuta directly to the villa every week. She wouldn't even allow anyone to buy their food from any market in Abuja. That is how much they fear IBB's penetration. They all feared IBB because IBB has loyalists in every tribes and every corner of the government. No one ever say no to IBB when he asks you for favour. Even if the favour is to kill someone.

IBB had the believe that he would be back to become Nigeria President again. Obasanjo was able to stop him. 2 billion naira spent on campaign materials for IBB are still sittiing at government house in Minna.

RedReact:
That gap-toothed man is a devil. He wanted power at all cost after Abacha died and also wanted to appear clean with it. He never thought an ex-military man could be voted as a president again. If not, OBJ wouldn't have been approached by him at all.
The unclear scenario here is this: was Al-Mustapha loyal to IBB or Abacha? If it were to be the former, how could he (al-Mustapha) play his game and win the latter's heart without being detected?
Another question is this: Who was/were behind the Diya coup?

aflag: heard frm a very credible source that JT Useni declined to be the c in c because he felt the Abacha family and associate would suspect he has a hand in hís death.

payless:


No. Jeremiah T. Useni was the most senior officer at the time. He was prevented from getting there because he was a "christian" and very political as he held political offices before.

byrron:


DAZ ALL.
even zimi my late dog that died few days after that of abacha cos of the HBP abacha's government caused her then knew that useni was the highest ranked military personnel after abacha.
abubarker got a double promotion that night just to silence jboy cos he was a christian and forced his retirement.
mustaphar allowed his religious bigotry to have a better part of him and were is he today?
dumped into detention by the same abdulsalami.

GenBuhari: Can you elaborate on who you think killed Abacha and how you think the may have done it?
The question still remains, why did Al Mustapha effectively hand power to IBB instead of one of Abacha's loyalists?

GenBuhari: There were 2 ways of deciding Abacha's succession.

One was military rank

The other was seniority in the cabinet.

I am not sure which way round but Jeremiah Useni was highest in one category and Abdulsalami Abubakar was the highest in the other.

Al Mustapha engineered the decision to go Abdulsalami Abubakar's favour by informing him and his / IBB's supporters about Abacha's death first and informing Abacha's loyalist last of all. Why did he do this if he was not party to the plot to poison Abacha?