Sani Abacha, (born September 20, 1943, Kano, Nigeria—died June 8, 1998, Abuja) Nigerian military leader, who served as head of state (1993–98).

Abacha received his formal military training at Nigerian and British military training colleges. He rose through the ranks in the Nigerian military and by 1983 had achieved the rank of brigadier when he assisted Ibrahim Babangida in overthrowing Shehu Shagari, who had been elected to his second presidential term in 1983. Muhammad Buhari became Nigeria’s leader, but just two years later Babangida overthrew Buhari and installed himself as leader with Abacha second in command. Elections were held in 1993 and were won by Moshood Abiola, a candidate supposedly supported by Babangida, who, however, annulled the elections and set up a civilian interim government, which Abacha quickly overthrew.
Although Abacha promised a return to democracy, his actions were anything but democratic. He banned political activity of any kind, fired a large portion of the military, controlled the press, and assembled a personal security force of some 3,000 men. While he supported the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its military arm, ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), in sending troops to restore democracy in Liberia and Sierra Leone, he brutally suppressed dissent at home. Abiola and Olusegun Obasanjo, a former military leader of Nigeria (1976–79), were jailed for treason. Wole Soyinka, Nigeria’s Nobel laureate, was also charged with treason, although he had voluntarily left the country. Perhaps Abacha’s most brutal act was the imprisonment, trial, and subsequent execution for treason of writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni activists who were concerned with the environmental exploitation of their region by multinational petroleum companies.

Abacha’s sudden death in June 1998 moved along the process of returning the country to civilian rule. His military successor, Abdusalam Abubakar, oversaw the return to an elected civilian government in 1999. After Abacha’s death, it was rumoured that he and his family had enriched themselves by some $3 billion, most of it held in European banks. In 2002 a settlement, which returned most of the money to the government in exchange for dropping criminal prosecution, was reached between the Obasanjo government and the Abacha family.


facts about Late Sani Abacha.
In 1990 Abacha became the first Nigerian soldier to attain the rank of a full General without skipping a single rank.

General Sani Abacha increased fuel price just once in his four-and-a-half years in office.

The National Hospital, Abuja, was established by Mrs Maryam Abacha, wife of General Sani Abacha.
General Abacha played a vital role towards restoration of peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone, after year of bloody civil war.

General Abacha played a vital role towards restoration of peace in Liberia and Sierra Leone, after year of bloody civil war and Abacha, being the secretary of defence and the most senior member of government, took over.

Sani Abacha oversaw an increase in the country's foreign exchange reserves from $494 million in 1993 to $9.6 billion by the middle of 1997.

General Sani Abacha increased fuel price just once in his four-and-a-half years in office.

Gen Abacha was responsible for setting up the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund in 1994

Mrs Maryam Sani Abacha initiated Nigeria's Family Support Programme (FSP).

Gen Sani Abacha administration started a major housing projects, witnessing the execution of 125,000 houses across the country.

It is on record that the late General Sani Abacha started a major railway rehabilitation and modernization projects.

General Sani Abacha contributed greatly to the restoration of the lost glory of the military in Nigeria by especially providing adequate training.


The Gwarinpa Estate was part of Gen Abacha housing project, which is the largest single housing project in Africa.

Officially, Gen Sani Abacha didn't overthrow the interim national government in 1993. The head of government, Chief Ernest Shonekan resigned and Abacha, being the secretary of defence and the most senior member of government, took over.

Gen Sani Abacha stabilised exchange rate at N22/$1 but the unofficial rate was N80/$1.

Ok but how much did he steal

The General, we miss you.

If Devil die in Africa, they will speak good of him also, Nigerian mentally. Never speak bad of the dead.

I hope one of Abacha's family is not contesting for any political post anytime soon ?

The way some people are desperately doing image cleanup for Abacha and family is alarming

Once a General, always a General

DaBullIT:
I hope one of Abacha's family is not contesting for any political post anytime soon ?

The way some people are desperately doing image cleanup for Abacha and family is alarming

But everything written there is a fact ..even in corruption index he didn't steal as much as Obasanjo but you know who ever controls the media controls history so he will forever be a villain while Obasanjo will be a hero

Media has a way of selling nonsense to d masses... They once told us subsidy was a scam, now they're selling it at control price to us telling us tz d best policy since 1914... Smh

Can you share the corruption index with the forum please ?

idupaul:


But everything written there is a fact ..even in corruption index he didn't steal as much as Obasanjo but you know who ever controls the media controls history so he will forever be a villain while Obasanjo will be a hero

DaBullIT:
I hope one of Abacha's family is not contesting for any political post anytime soon ?

The way some people are desperately doing image cleanup for Abacha and family is alarming

not a bad record.