‘What He Said Is Not True’ — Al-Mustapha Dismisses Ex-DSS Operative’s Abacha Death Claims

Former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (retd.), has dismissed claims made by former Department of State Services (DSS) operative Dennis Amachree regarding the final moments of the late military ruler.

Al-Mustapha spoke with journalists on Saturday after attending the Memorial Conference on General Hassan Usman Katsina held at Arewa House in Kaduna.

His reaction followed revelations made by Amachree, a retired Assistant Director of the DSS who served during the Abacha administration. In a recently published book, Amachree offered his account of General Abacha’s movements before his death, attracting widespread reactions from former government officials and members of the public.

Rejecting the account, Al-Mustapha described it as false and urged Nigerians not to believe the version presented in the publication.

According to him, the claims were deliberately fabricated and did not accurately reflect what transpired.

“The boy was asked by others to write those lies. I have all the CCTV footage of what happened in my custody, so what he said is not true,” Al-Mustapha said.

Although he insisted that he possesses evidence capable of disproving Amachree’s narrative, the retired army major did not provide further details about the alleged footage or indicate whether it would be released publicly.

He also appealed to Nigerians to disregard the publication, arguing that it was unfair to make allegations against a deceased individual who is no longer alive to defend himself.

“Just ignore his lies. It’s bad to say such things about someone who is dead,” he added.

General Sani Abacha came to power following a military coup on November 17, 1993, and remained Nigeria’s Head of State until his sudden death at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on June 8, 1998.

At the time, the Federal Government announced that Abacha died after a sudden illness. However, the circumstances surrounding his death have remained one of the most controversial episodes in Nigeria’s political history.

Over the years, several conflicting accounts have emerged from former military officers, intelligence operatives, diplomats and political actors, with books, interviews and public statements presenting different versions of the events leading to Abacha’s death.

Al-Mustapha, one of Abacha’s closest associates during his administration, has consistently challenged narratives he believes distort the late military leader’s legacy and the circumstances surrounding his final hours.