“Produce Abacha’s final hours CCTV footage” — former DSS director challenges ex-CSO over disputed account of late Head of State’s death

• Dennis Amachree and Hamza Al-Mustapha are disputing accounts of Sani Abacha’s final hours.

• Amachree shared his version of events in his memoir, DSS@40: My Journey Behind the Shield.

• Al-Mustapha rejected the claim and said CCTV footage could show what happened.

• The alleged footage has not been publicly released.

A fresh controversy has emerged over the circumstances surrounding the death of former Nigerian Head of State, General Sani Abacha, after retired Department of State Services (DSS) Director, Dennis Amachree challenged his former Chief Security Officer, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd.), to release alleged CCTV footage of Abacha’s final hours.

The dispute followed claims made by Amachree in his memoir, “DSS@40: My Journey Behind the Shield”, where he gave his account of what happened before Abacha’s death on June 8, 1998.

In the book, Amachree reportedly claimed that Abacha died after suffering a heart-related incident during a private encounter, an account that has generated controversy and renewed public debate over the circumstances surrounding the former military ruler’s death.

However, Al-Mustapha, who served as Abacha’s Chief Security Officer, rejected the claim, describing it as false and insisting that the account did not reflect what happened during Abacha’s final moments.

Al-Mustapha reportedly said he had access to CCTV footage from the Presidential Villa that captured events around Abacha’s final hours and suggested that the footage could clarify what actually happened.

Reacting to the claim, Amachree challenged Al-Mustapha to release the footage publicly if it exists, saying evidence should be presented rather than simply dismissing his account.

“Produce Abacha’s final hours CCTV or keep quiet,” Amachree reportedly said while responding to Al-Mustapha’s rejection of his claims.

Amachree also defended the credibility of his memoir, stating that the book went through the necessary review process before publication. He argued that his account was based on his experience and knowledge from his years in the security service.

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The disagreement has revived long-standing questions surrounding Abacha’s sudden death at the Presidential Villa in Abuja at the age of 54. Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998, died shortly before the country transitioned from military rule to democracy in 1999.

Over the years, different accounts and speculations have emerged about the circumstances of his death, although no publicly released evidence has conclusively established the exact events leading to his passing.

The latest exchange between Amachree and Al-Mustapha has once again placed Abacha’s final hours in the spotlight, with both sides presenting different accounts of what happened.

At the time of reporting, the alleged CCTV footage referenced by Al-Mustapha had not been publicly released.