Former DSS Operative Claims Abacha Died of Cardiac Arrest During Sexual Encounter

A retired senior official of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has offered a fresh account of the final moments of Nigeria’s former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, claiming the late military ruler died during an intimate encounter at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Amachree, who served as Assistant Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Lagos State Command of the DSS when Abacha died in June 1998, made the disclosure in his newly released memoir, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield.

Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from November 1993 until his death on June 8, 1998, remains one of the country’s most controversial leaders. His administration has long been associated with allegations of human rights abuses, while the circumstances surrounding his sudden death have fuelled decades of speculation and conspiracy theories.

According to excerpts from the book published by The Nation, Amachree said Abacha died at about 4:05 a.m. while in the company of a female visitor at the Aso Rock Guest House.

He claimed the woman, described as a pharmacist who was attending a conference in Abuja, had accompanied her elder sister allegedly Abacha’s girlfriend to the Presidential Villa earlier that night.

Amachree wrote that after briefly visiting the Head of State, the elder sister returned to her hotel, leaving the younger woman alone with Abacha.

He alleged that during an intimate encounter, the woman noticed the military ruler had suddenly become unresponsive.

According to the retired intelligence officer, she attempted to check his pulse but found no signs of life. Panicked by the development, she reportedly left the villa after informing a soldier on duty that the Head of State had requested that she be driven back to her hotel.

The soldier, unaware of what had transpired, arranged transportation for her.

Amachree further claimed that after informing her sister of the incident, the pharmacist hurried to Abuja Airport and boarded an early morning flight to Lagos before security officials realised she was a key witness.

He said the DSS later tracked her down in Ogudu, Lagos, following instructions from the agency’s national headquarters.

Recalling the interrogation, Amachree said the woman’s first words were: “I did not kill him, he died on top of me.”

He said her statement formed the basis of the account he considers the most credible explanation of Abacha’s death.

According to him, the woman’s testimony contradicts several long-standing claims surrounding the former ruler’s demise, including stories involving poisoned apples or foreign women allegedly flown into the country.

Amachree maintained that Abacha most likely suffered what he described as a coitus-induced cardiac arrest, insisting that the account effectively dispels many of the conspiracy theories that have circulated for nearly three decades.

Abacha’s death came barely a month before the passing of Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, widely regarded as the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election. Abiola died in detention while in government custody after years of imprisonment under the military regime.