On Sunday, June 7, 1998, General Sani Abacha was at the airport to welcome Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat. Sauntering in his traditional babaringa, he was full of life taking greetings from people who were around but 24 hours later, the man whom many believed to be a tyrant was pronounced dead following a cardiovascular attack. He was to travel to Burkina Faso the day he died for a meeting at the then Organization for African Unity, O.A.U .
Abacha is being touted today as the first Nigerian president to die of natural cause but many Nigerians still belief till today that his death is far from being natural. Abacha was reportedly randy and this might be the the flame which led to the fire of rumor in Nigeria today that he died of poisoned apple by some of his many Indian mistresses.
The day Abacha died is debatably the happiest day in the life of the nation; and may be only Independence Day on October 1st, 1960 could compete with it.
I remember that day on June 8, 1998. I just came back from school and I saw elderly men gathered in round their radio set and whispering in hush tone.
There was tension in the polity, local newspapers had gone to press before his death and the electronic media could not broadcast his passing away without official confirmation. News of his death first reached us from foreign sources: CNN, the BBC and VOA.
While there was a general belief and relief in the air that he might be truly dead because of the credibility of the News Agencies that aired it, people still exercised restraint in the way they rejoice.
After a wait that seemed to be eternal, the Radio Nigeria came on air to announce the broadcast of a very important information. And then, General Abdulsalam Abubakar came on air to make this announcement which threw many Nigerians into a frenzy.
These were his exact words on that history-making, June 8, 1998 evening:
”The Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha (GCON), passed away in the early hours of this morning (Monday). General Sani Abacha was born in Kano on September 20, 1943. He enlisted into the Nigerian Army in December 1962 and trained at the Nigerian Military College, Jaji, and Mons Officers Cadet College, United Kingdom.
He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in 1963 and promoted to full Lieutenant in1966; Captain in 1967; Major in 1970; Lieutenant-Colonel in 1972; Colonel in 1975; Brigadier-General in 1980; Major-General in 1984, Lieutenant-General in 1987; and General in 1990.
General Abacha held many command positions in the Nigerian Army, including Commander 2nd Division Training Depot; Commander Support Wing and Chief Instructor, Nigerian Army Schoolof Infantry Brigade, 1975-1978. He was the Commander, 9 Mechanised Brigade, 1981-1983; and became the General Officer Commanding 2 Mechanised Division, 1984-1985.
General Abacha was the Chief of Army Staff from August 1985 to April, 1990 and later (was ) Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, from December 29, 1989 to September 1, 1990.
He was Chief of Defence Staff and Minister of Defence from September 3.1990 to November, 1992. He was secretary for Defence Chief of Defence Staff, from December, 1992-November 16, 1993.
General Abacha assumed the office of Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, on November 17, 1993 and served till June 8, 1998 on a national rescue mission.
He was highly decorated and had, in his lifetime, earned the following honours: Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON), Order of the Federal Republic (OFR), Defence Service Medal (DSM), National Service Medal (NSM), General Service Medal (GSM), Republic Medal (RM), Silver Jubilee Medal (SJM), Force Service Medal (FSS), Distinguished Service Star (DSS), Meritorious Service Star (MSS), Member, National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos (mni)”.
Hardly had Abubakar finished the news that the streets went agog. People were seen hugging, dancing and performing different stunt on their motorcycles and bicycles.
I first wondered why people were happy at the death of a man then, I remembered Kudirat Abiola and host of others that were killed at the behest of Abacha, the imprisonment of Obasanjo, Diya , Adisa etc, economic hardship, political tensions, exiles of some prominent Nigerians and I was relieved myself. Sani Abacha will always live in our hearts as a tyrant at whose death Nigera rejoiced.