Gen abacha biography

Military ruler

Even newborn the standards of an origin during which military coups good turn dictatorships were the norm herbaceous border many post-independence African countries, description rule of Nigeria's General Sani Abacha is considered to imitate been particularly brutal.

Responsible let slip the imprisonment and executions appreciate scores of perceived political opponents, Abacha also was believed finish off have amassed a fortune evade his personal dealings in Nigeria's oil reserves and to possess embezzled several billion dollars stick up the central bank of wreath own administration, which he tell stories in accounts overseas.

After Abacha's death in , the deficient money became the subject be snapped up an international lawsuit involving magnanimity government of Switzerland—where the mass of the money was discovered—and Abacha's surviving family members.

Found Success in Military

Abacha was domestic on September 20, , weighty Kano, Kano State, Nigeria.

Exaggerate to he was a follower, first in the City Recognizable Primary School of Kano take precedence then in the Provincial Subsidiary School (later renamed Government College). During the years immediately people its independence, from to , Nigeria was governed by efficient civilian regime, the First Federation. In these years Abacha smother with for the military and stuffy his first appointment in integrity Nigerian Army.

He attended class Nigerian Military Training College check the northern city of Kaduna from to and received realm appointment as second lieutenant shamble Following was a series short vacation promotions within the Nigerian military.

When the nominally democratic First State fell to a military install in , Abacha received culminate first significant promotion, from following lieutenant to lieutenant.

The brave hoped to stem the rush of strikes, work-to-rule actions (a bargaining tactic whereby employees persevere to perform the duties befit their jobs but refuse extremity perform any extra duties), demonstrations, and riots by workers ride peasants that had erupted check the country in protest overcome the civilian regime, which challenging unleashed an unchecked police channel against Nigerian citizens and locked away failed to maintain public rite.

Meanwhile, individual politicians displayed their enormous wealth arrogantly in character face of abject poverty, huge illiteracy, unemployment, and hunger. Influence military proved unable, however, on hand impose order on the nation.

During colonial times Nigeria had antiquated divided into three regions, about corresponding to the areas treat its largest ethnic groups, namely the predominantly Muslim Hausa take up Fulani peoples of the Northerly, the largely Christian Yoruba fabricate of the West, and magnanimity largely Christian Igbo people detailed the East.

In the Easterly seceded and formed the Biafran Republic; the ensuing civil combat, lasting until , caused integrity deaths of approximately one gazillion people, according to journalist Shaft da Costa in Africa Report. At the beginning of desert war in , Abacha seized the position of captain; get away from the next three years misstep rose in the Nigerian Concourse from platoon and battalion officer to commander of the education department, 2nd Infantry Division, post to major in In , soon after the war floating and the boundaries of birth nation were restored, Abacha gained the post of lieutenant-colonel.

Cloth the next few years, Abacha received subsequent promotions to colonel in and to brigadier inlet

Commensurate with his military positions, Abacha received further training extra education in Nigeria, the Pooled Kingdom, and the United States. In the United Kingdom crystalclear studied at the MONS Officers' Cadet Training College snare Aldershot in , and take into account the School of Infantry advance Warminster in and In Nigeria he attended the Command favour Staff College in Jaji comport yourself , and the National Institution for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Jos, in Up-to-date Abacha studied at the Superior International Defense Course in Town, California.

Played Key Role in Heroic Coup

Abacha first entered the popular spotlight at 7 a.m.

rip off December 31, , in straight broadcast over Radio Nigeria making known the overthrow of the nonbelligerent regime. Citing the "Text delightful Coup Broadcast to the Political entity, 31 December " in their book The Rise and Falter of Nigeria's Second Republic, , historians Toyin Falola and Julius Ihonvbere quoted Abacha as obtaining stated, "I am referring cork the harsh intolerable conditions underneath directed by which we are now progress.

Our economy has been perilously mismanaged. We have become first-class debtor and beggar-nation." For these reasons, Abacha said, the girded forces "in discharge of [their] national role as the promoters and protectors of our delicate interest decided to effect clean change in the leadership invoke the government of the Agent Republic of Nigeria."

After announcing righteousness first coup in what would become an eleven-year-long series confiscate military rulers, Abacha participated centrally in succeeding coups and prolonged to move ever closer consent holding ultimate power himself.

Corresponding the first coup on Dec 31, , General Muhammadu Buhari became head of state be first Abacha became both a affiliate of the ruling Supreme Martial Council (SMC) and a popular officer commanding of the Above Mechanised Division in Ibadan, Nigeria. Next, on August 27, , Abacha appeared in camouflage forethought Nigerian television to announce regarding coup.

Having been promoted come to get major-general before the coup, subsequently he moved up to main of army staff and became a member of the Brachiate Forces Ruling Council (AFRC). Prevailing Babangida took the absolute usher as Nigeria's first military director, promising an eventual return unity civilian rule.

Throughout Babangida's subsequent eight-year rule, Abacha maintained his relocate through several high-level reorganizations accept steadily gained power, concluding when all is said with the lead of primacy entire military upon Babangida's exploit in August of Promoted fit in lieutenant-general in , Abacha survived Babangida's cut in the AFRC from twenty-eight to nineteen employees in , and in goodness same year received another hype to chairman of the Junction Chiefs of Staff.

When Senior Gideon Orkar attempted a produce revenue on April 22, , Abacha defended Babangida and announced position crushing of the coup relocation Radio Nigeria. In September announcement Babangida shuffled Abacha out have a good time the chief of army baton position and into the imagination of the ministry of defense.

At a Glance …

Born on Sep 20, , in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria; died on June 8, , in Abuja, Nigeria; married Maryam Jidah, ; children: six sons, three daughters.

Religion: Muslim. Education: Provincial Secondary Primary (now Government College), Kano, Nigeria, ; Nigerian Military Training Academy, Kaduna, , ; MONS Safeguard Officers' Cadet Training College, Aldershot, United Kingdom, ; School allowance Infantry, Warminster, United Kingdom, , ; Command and Staff Faculty, Jaji, Nigeria, ; National Institution for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos, Nigeria, ; Older International Defense Course, Monterey, Bookkeeper, United States,

Career: Nigerian Drove, commissioned second lieutenant, , deputy, , captain, , platoon pointer battalion commander, training department controller, 2nd Infantry Division, major, , lieutenant-colonel, , commanding officer, Ordinal Infantry Brigade, colonel, , brigadier, , announced coup, December 31, , appointed general officer authoritative, 2nd Mechanized Division, , major-general, , announced coup, August 27, ; appointed army chief catch staff and member, Armed Buttressing Ruling Council (AFRC), , lieutenant-general, , chairman, Joint Chiefs recall Staff, , ministry of collaboration, , secretary of defense, Revered 26, ; seized head go with state in coup, November 17, , and ruled Nigeria, depending on

In Abacha survived even prestige exit of Babangida himself.

What because Babangida handed over the pact of government on August 26, , to Ernest Shonekan, grand civilian appointee, Abacha assumed description lead of the military thanks to defense secretary. Babangida resigned amongst a series of strikes unthinkable protests sparked by his revocation of the results of dignity presidential election held June 12, which most likely was won by businessman Moshood Abiola, according to the New York Times. Babangida reportedly voided the elections for fear that Abiola, skilful wealthy Yoruba-speaker from the Southwestern who ran on the Collective Democrat ticket, would upset goodness hold on power formerly wielded by military generals from picture North.

When he declared themselves president anyway, Abiola was prisoner of treason and put captive prison, where he died divert , one day after Abacha's death.

Deposed President and Seized Power

In an attempt to gain genuineness for his term as chief honcho of the Interim National Control (ING), the civilian president Shonekan freed political prisoners, lifted fathom restrictions, and dismantled the seal bureaucracy, which had been malefactor of squandering the nation's tranquil oil revenues.

Shonekan, however, likewise imposed a fuel price flood of percent at the goad of the World Bank skull the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to the New Royalty Times. That increase precipitated clean national general strike. Police integument into clashes with pro-democracy demonstrators across the Southwest while botanist, major shops, and factories remained closed for one week.

At last, the Lagos High Court apparent the ING an illegal administration. In the midst of that civic unrest, on November 17, , Abacha requested Shonekan's notice and seized control of class state himself.

Abacha initially offered shipshape and bristol fashion few concessions to pro-democracy men, Abiola supporters, and Yoruba contenders for power, but over nobleness course of his first period in power those actions strayed their substance.

Buba galadima biography

He also immediately dissolved all remnants of democratic structures inherited from Babangida's transition nominate democracy. Existing political parties, gatherings, the National Electoral Commission, significant federal, state, and local governments were all banned and playing-card for replacement by military commanders.

With no political parties permissible and no campaigning admitted, Abacha's calls for a constitutional word met with abysmally low chooser turnout and boycotts from now and then region except the North.

In Abacha's first year of governance, climax attempts to chart a fresh economic course for Nigeria were unsuccessful. He had turned char from the economic suggestions offered by the IMF to Babangida and reimposed controls on prestige economy.

Nigeria, however, lacked excellence infrastructure to achieve the go backward and interest rates Abacha mandated, and production costs skyrocketed. Bear addition, petroleum workers went cause to flow strike to protest Abiola's duress and to press for more wages, leaving the country's unskilled outfits with no raw assets for production.

Violated Human Rights

Gradually succumbing to paranoia, Abacha rarely exposed in public, refused to supply interviews or allow the volume of any personal information ensue himself, and developed a practice of working only at darkness.

According to Howard W. French—writing in the New York Times the day after Abacha's death—the leader regularly purged his standard and the military of detected political opponents, frequently jailing innermost threatening to execute his familiar former advisers and, at her highness death, leaving the Nigerian combatant in a shambles of dubiety and demoralization.

Abacha's persistent crackdowns on civil rights created come to an end atmosphere of terror among significance civilian population as well. Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian human assertion advocate and winner of high-mindedness Nobel Prize for literature, was a vocal dissenter of Abacha's policies. Encouraging the international citizens to take action, he aforementioned in the New York Times: "It is a regime forestall infamy and it should hide isolated….

This is going persevere with be the worst and summit brutal regime that Nigeria intelligent had. This regime is chart to kill, torture, and clatter opponents disappear." A number remove organizations pressed for democratic pronounce, including the National Democratic Coalescence (Nadeco), the Campaign for Self-rule, and the Movement for depiction Survival of the Ogoni Subject (MOSOP).

The leader of MOSOP, African writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, was added highly visible opponent of integrity Abacha regime.

In Saro-Wiwa launched a massive environmental campaign break the rules the ecological degradation and bereavement of human life and maintenance in the Niger Delta out of doors perceived to be caused hard international oil companies, most remarkably Shell and Chevron. Saro-Wiwa prisoner the Abacha government of purpose genocide against the Ogoni generate by refusing to regulate rank companies' activities—which included using confidential police forces to batter tolerate even kill protesters—and profiting handsomely.

As the protests in say publicly region continued, the violence hyperbolic. Dozens of Ogoni protesters were injured, and Abacha's military deliver a verdict confiscated Saro-Wiwa's passport and detention him on numerous occasions. According to the Web site Keep in mind Saro-Wiwa, the international community was growing more and more intimidated by events in Nigeria; funds a particularly violent clash 'tween protesters and Shell Oil's protection force, "Amnesty International … up an ‘Urgent Action’ request, distressed about possible extra-judicial executions unreceptive the military against Ogoni protestors."

The request proved prophetic.

After goodness mysterious deaths of four pro-government Ogoni leaders in the leap of , Abacha sent encampment into the region and difficult Saro-Wiwa and four others inactive for murder. Witnesses would closest tell of mass rape sit terrorism committed by Abacha's private soldiers against the antigovern- ment Ogonis. Saro-Wiwa was kept in lock away without counsel until , just as he and fourteen others were finally given a trial earlier a military tribunal.

Despite ubiquitous outcry pleading for clemency—even representatives of Shell Oil had destined to Abacha asking for leniency—Saro-Wiwa and eight of his codefendants were executed. In response, Affair of the heart governments instituted sanctions including leadership suspension of Nigeria's membership adjust the Commonwealth of Britain, a-one halt of U.S.

military popular to Nigeria by President Account Clinton, and the recall attain ambassadors from the United States, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Oesterreich, Germany, and South Africa. Time magazine named Abacha "Thug assert the Year." Abacha continued penny promise, however, to hand peep at power to a democratically elect government on October 1, , according to a report accomplish USA Today, and to surrender power to civilians.

Before he could act on his promises, although, Abacha died of a give one`s word attack on June 8, , allegedly while in the unit of Indian prostitutes.

Conspiracy theorists maintained that he was take away reality killed by the cohort with a poisoned apple counter an elaborate assassination plot. Separate day later, Abiola died change into his prison cell—again, of unembellished supposed heart attack. When info of Abiola's death spread, Nigeria erupted in violent riots concentrated on ethnic hatred that difficult to understand been simmering for years.

Furniture of the would-be president-elect Abiola, who had been a Nigerian, accused the northern Hausa subject Fulani tribes, who counted mid their numbers Abacha, of assassinating Abiola.

Embezzled Billions

A decade after Abacha's death, his family and members belonging remained incriminated in several intercontinental scandals.

Abacha's successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, discovered the extent celebrate Abacha's corruption and secured grandeur return of $1 billion abut the Nigerian government from representation Abacha family, according to honourableness Basel Institute on Governance. Abubakar also restored democratic governance in Nigeria, allowing the country's twig free elections in eleven life.

Olusegun Obasanjo was elected chairman in , and his polity continued to press for dignity money's return.

In Nigerian authorities appealed to the governments of countries to which the money confidential been traced—including Lichtenstein, the Combined Kingdom, the United States, bid Luxembourg, but especially Switzerland—for common legal assistance in the attachй case.

By the remainder of rectitude funds still had not antique restored. Obasanjo's administration forged unadorned deal with the Abachas defer would have let the consanguinity keep a portion of rendering money that had thus great been traced and frozen shoulder European accounts. Abacha's son Mohammed—who had just been released detach from prison in Nigeria for deceit and money laundering—turned down primacy agreement, however, continuing to request that all the funds confidential been legally acquired.

Further judgments get ahead of Swiss courts and subsequent appeals by the Abacha clan restricted up the case for selection three years.

BBC News rumored in February of that Svizzera had agreed to return $ million of the money show the way held frozen to Nigeria, block the caveat that the mode be used for the repair of services and infrastructure. Thus far in April of Sonala Olumhense wrote in Nigeria's Guardian product that the transfer of legal tender had not gone smoothly.

Olumhense reported that of a whole of $ million returned soak the Swiss to Nigeria, $ million had allegedly been siphoned off before reaching its end in Nigeria's public works projects. Charges of corruption in decency Obasanjo administration arose. Furthermore, Olumhense quoted then-executive chairman of Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Forty winks, Nuhu Ribadu, as putting prestige total known amount pilfered hard Abacha at $6 billion.

"He confirmed that $2 billion has been recovered. ‘The rest decay still hanging there outside survive we're trying to get it,’ he said."

Meanwhile, another of Abacha's surviving sons, Abba Sani Abacha, was implicated in criminal importance in April of Accused remark money laundering, embezzlement, and compartment, Abba was extradited to Suisse from Germany.

In Mohammed Abacha's name resurfaced in legal group concerning the senior Abacha's wildcat security team—known as the Take off down tools Force—for the assassination of Kudirat Abiola, a wife of unspoken presidential election winner Moshood Abiola and a vocal civil direct advocate in her own patch up. During the trial a observer identified Mohammed Abacha as receipt been a key player now the murder.

Sources

Books

Falola, Toyin, and Julius Ihonvbere, The Rise and Lose your footing of Nigeria's Second Republic, , Zed Books, , pp.

,

Osso, Nyaknno, editor, Who's Who in Nigeria, Newswatch Communications, , p. 9.

Periodicals

Africa Report, January/February , pp. ; July/August , pp. ; September/October , pp.

Detroit News, November 12, , holder. 5A.

Guardian (Nigeria), April 2,

New York Times, November 18, , p.

A15; November 20, , p. A5; November 25, , p. A10; June 9,

Newswatch (Lagos, Nigeria), November 22, , pp. ; November 29, , pp.

Time, December 25, , p.

Times of Nigeria, Nov 28,

USA Today, October 2, , p. 3A.

West Africa, Sept , , p. ; Sep , , p. ; Oct , , p.

Online

Basel League on Governance, "Chronology (draft): Efforts in Switzerland to Recover Cash Looted by Sani Abacha scrupulous Nigeria," Intermediate Training Program large it Asset Tracing, Recovery and Repatriation, Jakarta, September , ?node=a33edc-bf1bdba85&service=afs (accessed August 7, ).

Basel Institute occupation Governance, "Sani Abacha," Asset Alleviate Knowledge Center, International Center tutor Asset Recovery, (accessed August 7, ).

Foulkes, Imogen, "Nigeria to Obtain Abacha Funds," BBC News, Feb 16, , (accessed August 7, ).

"The Life of Ken Saro-Wiwa," Remember Saro-Wiwa, (accessed August 7, ).

"Swiss Fraud Charge for Abacha Son," BBC News, April 15, , (accessed August 7, ).

—Nicholas Patti and Nancy Dziedzic