Dennis Amachree, a former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), has made a claim regarding the cause of death of Nigeria’s former military Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
According to Amachree, Abacha suffered a cardiac arrest during an intimate encounter, contradicting the widely held belief that he was poisoned.
Amachree made the claim in his newly released memoir, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield, excerpts of which were published on Tuesday.
According to the retired intelligence officer, who served as Assistant Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Lagos DSS Command when Abacha died in June 1998, the former military ruler suffered a fatal cardiac arrest in the early hours of June 8, 1998, while at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He rejected several conspiracy theories that have surrounded Abacha’s death for nearly three decades, insisting that the former Head of State died of natural causes during sexual intercourse.
Amachree alleged that Abacha’s girlfriend visited the Aso Rock Guest House that night alongside her younger sister, a pharmacist who was reportedly in Abuja for a conference.
He wrote, “At approximately 2.40 am, shortly after Gen. Useni left, Abacha’s girlfriend, an Igbo lady (name withheld), arrived at the Aso Rock Guest House from the Nicon Noga Hilton Hotel.
“With her was her younger sister, a pharmacist who was in Abuja for a conference. The Head of State had just bought his girlfriend a new SUV, and they decided to stop by to say hello to ‘Oga’.
“Abacha was taken with the younger sister, and after a short while, the girlfriend returned to the hotel, leaving the pharmacist alone with the Head of State.”
The former DSS operative claimed that around 4:05 a.m., the woman realised Abacha had suddenly become unresponsive during the encounter.
“At about 4.05 am, as they were getting intimate, the pharmacist realised Abacha had stopped moving. She called out to him, but he was unresponsive and stiff. She checked his pulse; there was none,” he wrote.
According to Amachree, the woman panicked, quickly got dressed and left the Presidential Villa after asking a soldier on duty to arrange transport back to her hotel.
He alleged that the woman travelled to Lagos on an early morning flight before security officials became aware of what had happened.
Amachree said Abacha’s Chief Security Officer, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, was informed of the situation at about 5:00 a.m., after which efforts began to locate the woman.
He added that he was later instructed by the DSS headquarters to track her down in Lagos and personally questioned her after she was brought to his office.
Recalling the interrogation, Amachree said the woman immediately denied harming the former military ruler.
“The first thing she said to me was: ‘I did not kill him, he died on top of me.’ After her detailed account, I called the Director in Abuja, and she was immediately flown back,” he wrote.
The retired intelligence officer maintained that the woman’s account remains the most accurate explanation of Abacha’s death.
“The lady pharmacist’s account, on whom Abacha apparently had a coitus-induced cardiac arrest, remains the true position, and puts an end to the conspiracy theories and half-truths that have gone viral,” he said.
Abacha ruled Nigeria from November 1993 until his sudden death on June 8, 1998. His death has remained one of the country’s most debated political events, with various theories over the years claiming he was poisoned, including the widely circulated allegation that he died after eating poisoned apples.
His regime was defined by massive corruption, siphoning an estimated $2 to $9 billion of public funds into foreign bank accounts.
A funeral ceremony in Aleto, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, reportedly turned tragic on Friday after a pastor collapsed and died while delivering a sermon on the certainty of death.
The cleric was identified as Deacon Steve Eyo, the Resident Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Aleto.
He was preaching before more than 300 mourners when he suddenly collapsed as he was concluding his message.
Eyo’s sermon was titled “The Certainty of Death and Hope Beyond.” According to eyewitness accounts cited by multiple local news outlets, he began preaching at about 1:10 p.m., speaking about the inevitability of death and urging those present to live their lives with the awareness that nobody knows when death will come.
In illustrating his message, the pastor reportedly compared life to going to the market, explaining that some people leave early while others remain until later, just as some people die young while others live longer.
About 15 minutes into the sermon, at approximately 1:25 p.m., Eyo reportedly collapsed while rounding off his message.
His sudden fall initially confused some mourners, with eyewitnesses saying some thought the pastor was demonstrating the suddenness of death as part of his sermon. The situation quickly became clear, however, as church ministers, choir members and others rushed to his aid.
People at the scene reportedly prayed for him while individuals with medical knowledge attempted to administer first aid. He was subsequently taken to a nearby medical facility in the same ambulance that had been hired to convey the remains of the deceased person whose burial was taking place.
He was reportedly confirmed dead at the hospital, after which his remains were taken to a mortuary.
The circumstances surrounding Eyo’s death have not been publicly established in the reports reviewed, and no specific medical cause of death was disclosed.
However, the timing of the incident has left mourners and members of the Aleto community deeply shocked because of the subject of his final sermon.
According to eyewitness accounts, Eyo had urged the congregation to “number your days and prepare, for it can happen anytime” shortly before he collapsed.
The incident transformed what had begun as a solemn farewell for one deceased person into another moment of mourning, as attendees were confronted with the sudden death of the minister delivering the funeral sermon.
Nigerian dancer cum entertainer, Iweh Odinaka, popularly known as Poco Lee, has spoken about his ordeal following his release on bail in the United Kingdom.
Naija News recalls that Snaresbrook Crown Court had earlier fixed September 15 for plea and trial preparation in Poco Lee’s sexual offence case.
The case stems from Poco Lee’s visit to the UK in August for the Davido and Friends concert, which was held at the Crystal Palace Bowl in London on August 14.
However, during a video call with social commentator, VeryDarkMan, Poco Lee said his main concern while he was away was the welfare of his associates and the impact of his absence on their business activities.
The dancer maintained that he is innocent of the sexual allegation and his mind is pure.
He said, “I was just being myself. God sees my heart. My only worries were about my people. Jago could not do anything business, and I didn’t want to stress anyone.
“If I was inside there and I did what I was accused of, I would have felt I was paying for my sins, but since I knew I didn’t do what I was accused of, my mind is pure.
“Nobody would have wanted to associate themselves with something like that, but Burna Boy stood by me, Jago and some of my other guys.”
VeryDarkMan, who shared the video call on social media, also praised Nigerian singers, Burna Boy and Rahman Jago for their support.
In the caption accompanying the video, VDM wrote: “I just got off a video call with @rahman_jago_ and @poco_lee. I guess the next narrative will be this is AI. THERE IS A REASON WHY I BRAG WITH INTEGRITY, I AM NOBODY’S mate, WHEN I talk take it to the bank.”
The Rivers State House of Assembly has passed the state’s ₦1.8 trillion 2026 Appropriation Bill.
Daily Voice reports that the bill was unanimously passed by 26 lawmakers during the Assembly’s resumed sitting in Port Harcourt.
Once assented to by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, the budget will provide basis for the state government’s expenditure and implementation of programmes and projects.
More to come…
