Book claims Nigeria's former dictator Sani Abacha died during intimate encounter in 1998

Dennis Amachree, a retired Assistant Director of Nigeria's Department of State Services, released a new memoir titled *DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield*. In it, Amachree asserts that General Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s former commander‑in‑chief and military dictator, did not die from a poisoned handshake in June 1998 as previously reported. Instead, he claims Abacha suffered cardiac arrest while engaged in an intimate encounter with a paramour at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa Guest House in Abuja on June 8, 1998. The book discusses the declassification process for secret government records and responds to social‑media criticism questioning the author's motives and the handling of classified information.

The claim revisits a controversial chapter of Nigeria’s recent history, prompting debate over the reliability of newly released security documents and the broader implications for the country’s political narrative.