Former DSS Director Claims Abacha Died of Cardiac Arrest

A former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services, Dennis Amachree, has claimed that late former military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, died of cardiac arrest during an intimate encounter with his girlfriend.

Amachree made the claim in his newly released memoir, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield, excerpts of which were published by The Nation on Tuesday.

The retired intelligence officer also dismissed long-standing conspiracy theories surrounding the circumstances of Abacha's death.

According to Amachree, who served as Assistant Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Lagos DSS Command at the time, the former military ruler suffered the fatal cardiac arrest at about 4:05 a.m. on June 8, 1998, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The claims reflect Amachree's personal account in his memoir and have not been independently verified.