‘I Did Not Kill Him’ – Ex-DSS Director Reveals What Caused Sani Abacha’s Death

A former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has dismissed long-standing conspiracy theories surrounding the death of former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, insisting that available evidence pointed to a heart attack.

Naija News reports that Amachree made the disclosure in his newly released book, which he discussed during an interview on TVC News’ Breakfast Show.

He said many accounts that had circulated since Abacha’s death on June 8, 1998, were based on speculation and not firsthand knowledge of what happened.

According to the former DSS official, several people had offered different explanations for Abacha’s death without access to the facts uncovered during the investigation.

“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.

“Some even claimed certain actions caused his death, but they are not doctors and cannot say with certainty what killed him.”

Amachree said investigators questioned a woman who was reportedly with Abacha shortly before he died.

He described her testimony as the only direct eyewitness account of what transpired in the room.

According to him, the woman had arrived at the residence with her sister, who was said to be acquainted with the former military ruler.

“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 recalled.

The former DSS official said he found the woman’s account credible after extensive questioning.

“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,” he said.

“Her account remains the only true eyewitness account of what happened because nobody else was in that room with them.”

Amachree said the woman’s testimony and findings from the investigation convinced him that Abacha died of natural causes.

“From everything she told me and from what I gathered during the investigation, I strongly believe it was a heart attack,” he said.

“She did not know he was dead while she was with him, but later realised something was wrong. In my assessment, his death was the result of a heart attack.”

Abacha’s sudden death while in office has remained a subject of public debate and speculation for nearly three decades, with several theories emerging over the circumstances surrounding his demise.