I remember in 1997 when this picture of General Sani Abacha became a trend among media houses with claims that the Nigerian Head of State was not having the best of health.

I remember in 1997 when this picture of General Sani Abacha became a trend among media houses with claims that the Nigerian Head of State was not having the best of health.

I remember in 1997 when this picture of General Sani Abacha became a trend among media houses with claims that the Nigerian Head of State was not having the best of health.

In one September 1997 edition, Tell magazine reported that General Sani Abacha chaired the 20th ECOWAS Summit with an obvious strain on his health while his public appearance seemed to confirm months of media speculation about his ill health.

This is an excerpt of TELL’s report:

“On the day he declared it (the ECOWAS Summit) open, many Nigerians were shøcked at the pallor of the general’s skin, which looked grainy and trag!cally pale. His face, partly hidden under dark glasses, was drawn so severely that the gentle tribal scars on his temples seemed to stand out starkly against the general greyness of his visage.

“General Abacha’s lips also looked parched and were obviously broken in places, necessitating a darkening balm, which appeared to onlookers to be a dark lipstick. Nor was this the firm gait Nigerians are used to. When he walked, his steps appeared definitely unsteady, a departure from the sure-footedness he is known for.

“Indeed, Aso Rock sources confirmed, last week, the magazine’s worst fears: that the country is being governed by a man who is, possibly, term!nally ill.”

The magazine added:

“The issue of Abacha’s health has been known to West African heads of state for some time, and many of them have reportedly wondered how the inf!rm general could run the largest black country in the globe.

“Aso Rock sources told TELL that Abacha’s illness did not start today. Indeed, they say that he has suffered a liver a!lment for about 10 years, which has possibly graduated into a full-blown health cr!sis requiring drastic medical solutions.

“The general suffers liver c!rrhosis, which is described as a contraction of the liver due to excessive intake of fatty foods, chemicals and reagents in the form of prescription and other drugs, and even the excessive in-take of alcøhol.

“Unable to travel abroad and unlikely to get the right treatment locally, Abacha is rumoured to have sought spiritual help from mullahs and marabouts, but to no avail.”

Despite the fact that many months before his demise, various reports had questioned his health and physical appearance, there have been three versions about his dæth.

1. The initial report that he was given apple by an Indian prostitute.
2. The claim that he had a handshake with the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat hours before he passed away as presented by Hamzat Al-Mustapha, his Chief Security Officer.
3. A recent claim by Dennis Amachree, a former Director of the Department of State Security, that the former Head of State developed cãrdiac arrest while with a lady who he did not identify in his book.