The Reason Why An American Magazine Labelled Sani Abacha As Thug Of The Year In 1995
General Sani Abacha, one of Nigeria’ s most controversial leaders, ruled the country from 1993 until his sudden death in 1998. Born on September 20, 1943, in Kano State, Abacha hailed from Kanuri heritage in Borno State. His life was marked by a blend of military prowess, economic policies, political repression, and allegations of corruption.
Abacha’ s military journey began at the Nigerian Military Training Centre in Kaduna. He later attended Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1963. Known as a tactical and ambitious soldier, Abacha was involved in several key military events.
In 1966, while serving with the 3rd Battalion in Kaduna, Abacha played a role in the July counter- coup. He fought on the federal side during Nigeria’ s Civil War and gradually rose through the ranks. His reputation as a strategist grew with his involvement in coups, including the 1983 overthrow of President Shehu Shagari and the 1985 coup that ousted General Muhammadu Buhari, which he announced. By 1990, under General Ibrahim Babangida, he became Minister of Defence, cementing his influence within the military.
In 1993, Abacha made history as Nigeria’ s first soldier to attain the rank of a full General without skipping a rank. That same year, he seized power through a bloodless coup following the resignation of interim President Ernest Shonekan.
Abacha’ s rule was marked by both significant achievements and notorious repression. Economically, his administration made strides in increasing Nigeria’ s foreign exchange reserves from $494 million in 1993 to $9. 6 billion by 1997. He also reduced Nigeria’ s external debt from $36 billion to $27 billion during this period.
His establishment of the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF) was seen as a major initiative aimed at addressing infrastructural deficits. The PTF funded projects in health, education, water supply, and road construction. For instance, in 1997 alone, the PTF disbursed N24. 3 billion on roads and N7. 8 billion on health, among other investments.
Abacha also played a crucial role in peacekeeping efforts, helping to restore stability in Liberia and Sierra Leone during their civil wars.
Despite economic gains, Abacha’ s regime was widely criticized for its authoritarianism. In 1994, he issued decrees granting himself absolute power, including the right to detain individuals for up to three months without trial. His government clamped down on pro- democracy activists, civil rights groups, and the media.
The execution of environmental activist Ken Saro- Wiwa and eight other Ogoni leaders in 1995 drew global condemnation. Abacha’ s administration also witnessed the collapse of Nigeria’ s refineries, making the country reliant on imported petroleum products, with incidents of ” foul fuel” damaging engines.
Abacha’ s sudden death on June 8, 1998, at the presidential villa in Abuja remains shrouded in mystery. While the official account attributes his death to a heart attack, rumors persist that he was poisoned by political rivals or through laced food and drink while in the company of two sex workers. He was buried the same day without an autopsy, fueling speculation.
After his death, investigations revealed that Abacha had siphoned vast sums of money into foreign accounts. In 2014, the United States Department of Justice announced the recovery of $480 million linked to him, marking the largest forfeiture in U. S. history. Additional stolen funds continue to be discovered and repatriated.
Abacha was married to Maryam Abacha, with whom he had seven sons and three daughters. Maryam is credited with founding the National Hospital in Abuja, originally established for women and children.
Abacha’ s legacy remains divisive. To some, he was a strategic leader who stabilized Nigeria’ s economy and influenced regional peace. To others, he was a ruthless dictator whose administration epitomized corruption and repression.
