Biography
General Sani Abacha (born 20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a former military president and head of state of Nigeria, in power from November 1993 until his death in June 1998.
A career military officer, he served as Chief of the Army Staff from 1985 to 1990, Chief of the Defence Staff from 1990 to 1993, and Minister of Defence.
Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military officer who achieved the official rank of general without skipping any ranks. He became the head of state of Nigeria on 17 November 1993 after seizing power through a coup d’état.
Former President of Nigeria
Sani Abacha |
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 Sani Abacha: History ‧ Biography ‧ Photos |
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| Full name: | Sani Abacha |
| Stage name: | Sani Abacha GCFR |
| Born: | September 20, 1943 (age 54) |
| Deceased: | June 8, 1998, Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja (Age 26) |
| Place of birth: | Kano, Nigeria |
| State of origin: | Borno State |
| Nationality: | Nigerian |
| Height: | Do not have |
| Parents: | The Abacha family |
| Siblings: | Abdulkadir Abacha |
| Wife • Husband/wife: | Maryam Abacha (married 1965–1998) |
| Girlfriend • Partner: | Do not have |
| The children: | Mohammed Abacha, Zainab Abacha, Ibrahim Abacha, Mahmud Sani Abacha, Al Mustapha Abacha, Rakiya Abacha, Sadiq Abacha, Abba Abacha, Abdullahi Abacha, Fatima Gumsu Sani Abacha |
| Job: | Politician • Businessman |
| Net worth: | $1 billion – $5 billion |
Early life and education
Sani Abacha was born into the Abacha family on 20 September 1943. Although his hometown is Borno State, he was born and raised in Kano, Northern Nigeria. His elder brother is Abdulkadir Abacha, although the identities of his parents have never been revealed.
After graduating from high school, he was admitted to the prestigious Nigerian Military Training Academy (NMTC) in Kaduna. He trained to become a soldier at the university, now known as the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).
Sani Abacha graduated from college in 1963 and was commissioned in the Nigerian Army. He was then sent abroad to continue his studies at Mons Cadet College in Aldershot, England.
Career
Sani Abacha was a successful military officer. He was involved in most of the military coups that occurred in Nigeria. He was one of the military officers who staged the counter-coup in July 1966 that ousted Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi from office. At the time of the coup, he was a second lieutenant serving with the 3rd Battalion in Kaduna.
During the Nigerian Civil War, Sani Abacha served as a platoon and battalion commander on the federal side. By 1975, he was promoted to command the 2nd Infantry Division. He was one of the leaders of the 1983 coup that overthrew the civilian government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari and installed Major General Muhammadu Buhari in power.
He was later appointed General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2nd Mechanized Division (Ibadan) in 1983 and became a member of the Supreme Military Council. In 1985, he played a prominent role in the palace coup that ousted General Muhammadu Buhari and led to the emergence of Major General Ibrahim Babangida as Head of State.
In recognition of his role in the coup, Ibrahim Babaginda appointed Sani Abacha as Chief of Army Staff (COAS). He served as COAS from 1985 to 1990 before being promoted to Minister of Defense. He held the latter position from 1990 to 1993.
When Ibrahim Babaginda left office and formed the Interim National Government led by Chief Ernest Shonekan, Sani Abacha was the highest-ranking military officer in the military and government hierarchy. Three months after Ernest Shonekan assumed power as Interim President, Sani Abacha staged a coup d’état that ousted Ernest Shonekan from office. He assumed office as Head of State on November 17, 1993.
Sani Abacha’s rule was characterized by economic growth and a number of human rights violations. The latter put him at odds with the international community. In 1994, he issued a decree that placed his government above the jurisdiction of the courts, giving him absolute power.
He ordered the arrest of Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of the annulled presidential election on June 12. The arrest came after Moshood Abiola declared himself president of the country. Moshood Abiola was held in prison during the regime of Sani Abacha and died in custody.
Sani Abacha’s government was responsible for reorganizing Nigeria into six geopolitical zones: North Central, North East, North West, South East, South-South and South West. This decision reflected the cultural, economic and political realities of the region.
Sani Abacha’s regime ended on June 8, 1998, after his death. He was succeeded by General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who returned the country to civilian rule and ushered in the Fourth Republic.
Personal life
General Sani Abacha was married to Maryam Abacha, the country’s First Lady, from November 17, 1993 to June 8, 1998. They had ten children together. Their marriage was blessed with seven sons and three daughters. He became a grandfather after his death, and as of 2018, he had thirty-three grandchildren.
Sani Abacha’s children are Mohammed Abacha, Zainab Abacha, Ibrahim Abacha, Mahmud Sani Abacha, Al Mustapha Abacha, Rakiya Abacha, Sadiq Abacha, Abba Abacha, Abdullahi Abacha and Fatima Gumsu Sani Abacha.
Although Nigeria experienced rapid economic growth during Sani Abacha’s tenure, his regime was marked by corruption. There was a serious embezzlement of state funds during his tenure, which became widely known as the “Abacha Robbery”.
It is estimated that the Abacha family looted and transferred $1 billion to $5 billion (USD) into foreign accounts. The Olusegun Obasanjo administration accused Sani Abacha’s National Security Adviser, Alhaji Ismaila Gwarzo, and Sani Abacha’s second son, Mohammed Abacha, of playing a central role in the looting of state funds.
Sani Abacha died on 8 June 1998 at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, Abuja. He was buried the same day in accordance with Islamic tradition. His body was flown from the State House in Abuja to Kano, where he was buried. No autopsy was performed on his body, leading to speculation that he had been assassinated. While the Nigerian government determined the cause of death to be a heart attack, foreign diplomats suggested that he may have been poisoned.
Net worth
Sani Abacha’s net worth at the time of his death was estimated to be between US$1 and US$5 billion.
