Dan Etete Challenges Claims About Abacha's Death

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Dan Etete, has raised doubts about claims that former military Head of State, Sani Abacha, died during a sexual encounter. He called the story unproven and lacking evidence.

Mr Etete, who worked in Abacha's government and said he was a close friend of the late leader, responded to claims made by a former State Security Service (SSS) officer, Dennis Amachree, about Abacha’s last moments.

Mr Amachree shared these claims in his memoir, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield, with parts published in July. He stated that Abacha suffered a heart attack during sex at about 4:05 a.m. on June 8, 1998, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

But Mr Etete, in a statement titled, "Twenty-Eight Years On, Still No Evidence," said Mr Amachree has not provided any proof to support his story. He questioned the identity of the woman involved, her nationality, and if she has ever confirmed the tale.

He also demanded the post-mortem report and any medical findings that show how Abacha died. Mr Etete further asked about the supposed questioning of the woman, where the records are, who conducted it, and if it was signed.

He questioned whether there were flight records, hotel logs, or duty records to back up Mr Amachree's timeline. "He tells us the time to the minute. He tells us the room. He tells us what was said. Twenty-eight years on, from memory, with nothing on paper behind any of it," Mr Etete stated.

He noted that this account was never mentioned in the years after Abacha's death when many discussions and inquiries took place regarding the circumstances of that night. "In twenty-eight years, through every inquiry and every commission, through all the years when the people close to that night were still alive and still talking, this account was never once raised," he pointed out.

Mr Etete also questioned why the woman was allowed to leave Nigeria if she was important to the investigation of Abacha’s death. He stated that he was not speaking as Abacha's lawyer or spokesman, but as someone who served in his government and knew him personally.

"I do not pretend the record of those years is beyond argument. It is not, and it will be argued over long after all of us are gone. But a man’s death is not entertainment, and a country’s history is not built on the unsupported memory of one man.

"I cannot tell you what is in Mr Amachree’s mind. I can tell you what is in his hands: nothing. No post-mortem. No file. No signature. No woman.

"He did not provide any evidence because they do not exist. Now, for clarity, please address the following as well: What are the so-called woman’s name and her nationality? Why did you allow her to leave the country without filing a serious criminal investigation against her? Who ordered her release and subsequent departure from Nigeria? Gen. Sani Abacha was not an ordinary man or citizen of Nigeria.

"For such an important case which involves the country’s president, it should not be taken lightly and handled by you alone. Let me be very clear here that you are simply seeking cheap publicity and relevance.

"Until the author provides verified, documented answers to those questions, names, nationality, investigation records, authorization for release, and supporting documentary evidence, no serious reader should treat this account as anything more than an unsubstantiated narrative.

"The account remains unverified, unsupported, and unconvincing. It should not be trusted. It reads as little more than a salacious attempt to attract attention and sell a book," he added.