Nigeria’s Head of State, General Sani Abacha, died 27 years ago today on June 8, 1998 at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, reportedly of a heart attack. He was buried the same day in Kano, in accordance with Islamic tradition and no official autopsy was ever conducted as for the cause of his death.
Rumours quickly spread that he had been poisoned possibly through an apple while in the company of Indian sex workers. Others believed he was assassinated by political rivals. Some still argue he died of natural causes, worsened by stress or underlying health issues.
His sudden death brought an end to one of the most controversial and authoritarian regimes in Nigeria’s history.
Before becoming Head of State, Abacha had played a central role in Nigeria’s military politics. He was involved in nearly every successful coup between 1966 and 1993 and became the first Nigerian Army officer to rise to the rank of full General without skipping any rank.
He held power from November 1993 until his death in June 1998, making him Nigeria’s longest-serving military Head of State who ruled without transitioning to civilian government.
Despite controversy, Abacha’s regime is noted for stabilizing Nigeria’s economy during a volatile period. Inflation dropped significantly from 54% to 8.5%, and foreign reserves grew to over $9 billion by 1997, an unusual feat for a military regime.
His government established the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), chaired by General Muhammadu Buhari, which was tasked with using petroleum revenues to develop critical infrastructure across the country. Roads, schools, healthcare centers, and water projects were initiated under the PTF
Abacha also resisted external pressure to devalue the naira, a stance that earned him support among nationalist and anti-IMF circles.
However, his rule was equally defined by authoritarianism and the brutal suppression of dissent. His regime imprisoned political opponents, stifled the press, and oversaw the execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders in 1995, a move that led to Nigeria’s suspension from the Commonwealth and drew widespread global condemnation.
General Sani Abacha remains one of the most polarizing figures in Nigeria’s post-independence history, remembered by some for stabilizing the economy, and by many more for entrenching fear, corruption, and repression.
