Ex-DSS director says Abacha died of heart attack, not poisoning

A former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has rejected longstanding claims that former military ruler Sani Abacha was poisoned, maintaining that investigations conducted after his death pointed instead to a heart attack.

According to him, several people drew conclusions based on assumptions without having direct knowledge of what transpired.

Speaking during an interview on TVC News and in his recently published book, Amachree said many narratives surrounding Abacha’s death were driven by speculation rather than verified facts.

“A lot of people have come up with different stories about what happened, but they were not aware of the facts. They were looking at events from the outside and drawing conclusions,” he said.

He added that some individuals had attributed Abacha’s death to specific actions despite lacking the medical expertise to determine the actual cause.

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Amachree disclosed that investigators later questioned a woman who was reportedly in Abacha’s company shortly before his death. He described her testimony as the only firsthand account available from inside the room at the time of the incident.

The former DSS officer said the woman had arrived at the residence alongside her sister, who allegedly knew the then head of state.

Recalling their meeting, Amachree said the woman immediately denied involvement in Abacha’s death when she was brought in for questioning.

“The girl who was with him when he died was later brought to me for questioning. When she entered my office, the first thing she said was, ‘I did not kill him.’ She was very direct about it,” he said.

After extensively interviewing her, Amachree said he found no reason to doubt her version of events, noting that she was not subjected to intimidation during the interrogation.

He stressed that her testimony remained crucial because no other person was present in the room when the incident occurred.

“I had to believe her because she had no reason to lie to me. I did not create an atmosphere that would make her feel threatened. Her account remains the only true eyewitness account of what happened because nobody else was in that room with them,” he stated.

Drawing from both her account and the broader investigation, Amachree said he became convinced that Abacha died of natural causes.

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He explained that the woman did not initially realise the former military ruler had died, only later noticing that something was wrong. Based on the information available to investigators, he concluded that a heart attack was the most likely cause of death.

Abacha died on June 8, 1998, while serving as Nigeria’s head of state. Nearly 3 decades later, the circumstances surrounding his death continue to generate debate, with numerous theories emerging over the years.