A retired Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has claimed that former military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, died during an intimate encounter with a woman, dismissing longstanding claims that the late Nigerian leader was assassinated or poisoned.

Amachree made the revelation in his newly published 348-page memoir, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield, in which he recounted his role in the investigation into Abacha’s sudden death on June 8, 1998.

According to the former intelligence officer, Abacha suffered what he described as a coitus-induced cardiac arrest at about 4:05 am inside the Aso Rock Presidential Villa Guest House in Abuja.

He claimed that the woman involved, whom he identified only as a pharmacist, fled to Lagos shortly after the incident but was later traced and interrogated by the DSS.

Recalling the interrogation, Amachree said the woman insisted she was not responsible for Abacha’s death.

“The first thing she said to me was, ‘I did not kill him, he died on top of me,'” he wrote, adding that she was subsequently flown back to Abuja on the instruction of the DSS Director of Operations.

Amachree maintained that his account represents the true circumstances surrounding Abacha’s death and should finally put an end to decades of speculation.

He rejected several popular theories, including claims that the late military ruler was poisoned with an apple, assassinated through a poisoned handshake, or eliminated in a foreign intelligence operation, insisting that none of those narratives was supported by credible evidence.

According to the memoir, Abacha’s companion had arrived at the Presidential Villa Guest House with her younger sister, a pharmacist who was attending a conference in Abuja.

He alleged that after the companion returned to her hotel, the pharmacist remained alone with the Head of State.

Amachree claimed that when the pharmacist later discovered Abacha had become unresponsive, she checked for a pulse, found none, informed a soldier on duty that the Head of State had requested transport for her, and departed Abuja on an early morning flight to Lagos.

The retired DSS officer said investigators later tracked her to an address in Ogudu, Lagos, where she was arrested and questioned.

He also challenged the version of events previously presented by Abacha’s former Chief Security Officer, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, who had suggested that the late ruler’s condition deteriorated after shaking hands with a member of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s delegation during an official visit.

Amachree argued that Al-Mustapha’s account failed to explain what transpired in the hours leading to Abacha’s death.

He further disputed accounts by several prominent figures, including former FCT Minister Gen. Jeremiah Useni, military physician Brig.-Gen. Oviemo Ovadje, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode, former U.S National Security Adviser Susan Rice, and various foreign media reports, insisting that none was backed by verifiable evidence.

According to him, the prolonged controversy over Abacha’s death reflects a broader culture of misinformation and secrecy in Nigeria’s political history, stressing that historical events should be documented based on facts rather than speculation.

General Sani Abacha ruled Nigeria from November 1993 until his death on June 8, 1998.

His administration was marked by allegations of human rights abuses, the detention of political opponents and the suppression of pro-democracy activists.

He died barely a month before the death in detention of the presumed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief M.K.O. Abiola.

Amachree concluded that Abacha’s death serves as a reminder that political power is temporary and that no office or authority can shield anyone from mortality.

A former Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Robinson Ewor, has alleged that Governor Siminalayi Fubara ceded political control of the state to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as part of negotiations that ended the prolonged political crisis in the state.

Ewor made the claim during an interview on Arise Television, where he maintained that Fubara had already accepted the terms of a political settlement long before publicly acknowledging his reconciliation with Wike’s camp.

His remarks came a day after Governor Fubara openly declared support for the Rainbow Coalition, a political alliance in Rivers State spearheaded by Wike.

During the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction and equipping of the Rivers Medical Facility, Fubara endorsed President Bola Tinubu for re-election in 2027 and threw his weight behind Kingsley Chinda as his preferred governorship candidate.

He also urged his supporters to back all candidates contesting under the Rainbow Coalition.

The governor said the era of political hostilities in Rivers State was over, stressing that peace and unity had become necessary for the state’s progress.

Reacting to the development, Ewor claimed the governor’s public declaration merely confirmed what insiders had known since the emergency rule negotiations.

According to him, Fubara agreed to hand over political control of all 23 local government areas, key government appointments and state parastatals to Wike’s political camp.

He further alleged that the governor also accepted not to seek a second term in office.

“Everybody from the emergency rule knows that Fubara had already handed over the state to the FCT Minister. What he said publicly only confirmed what had already happened,” Ewor said.

He also alleged that the agreement included the removal of the Chief of Staff and the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

Ewor faulted the governor for allegedly keeping the details of the agreement away from his loyalists, despite their support throughout the political crisis.

He argued that Fubara should have returned after the negotiations to explain the outcome to his supporters instead of allowing them to continue mobilising politically for future elections.

According to him, many of the governor’s supporters prepared to contest elective offices without knowing that major concessions had already been made behind closed doors.

The former PDP chieftain maintained that the crisis could have been avoided if Fubara had been transparent from the outset about the real issues behind his disagreement with Wike and the Rivers State House of Assembly.

He noted that many Rivers residents rallied behind the governor because they believed Wike was preventing him from effectively governing the state.

Ewor disclosed that after learning about the alleged agreement, he publicly withdrew his support for Fubara and joined the Rainbow Coalition on January 1, insisting that members of the governor’s inner circle were fully aware of the concessions but chose not to inform the public.

He said those who criticised him at the time for abandoning Fubara now have confirmation following the governor’s recent public endorsement of the coalition.

Reaffirming his position, Ewor insisted that Fubara’s latest declaration should not be viewed as a new development, arguing that the governor had effectively surrendered political control during the emergency rule negotiations and only made it public months later.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has encouraged Nollywood actor Emeka Ike and Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to explore an out-of-court settlement in the N10 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit instituted by the actor.

Justice Salim Ibrahim gave the advice on Wednesday after parties appeared before the court for further mention of the case, which also lists the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a respondent.

At the proceedings, counsel to Emeka Ike, Leonard Adeh, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for mention and confirmed receipt of INEC’s counter-affidavit, which had been served on Tuesday.

He told the court that his client was still within the time allowed to file a response.

Justice Ibrahim thereafter urged the parties to consider resolving the dispute amicably outside the courtroom.

Responding, counsel to Olayinka, Akpama Ekwe, said the decision on reconciliation rested with the applicant.

However, Adeh maintained that Ike was willing to embrace an amicable resolution if the respondents initiated settlement discussions.

Following submissions by counsel, the court adjourned the matter until October 12 for hearing.

The suit stems from a social media post allegedly made by Olayinka after Ike lost the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) primary election for the AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Ike alleged that Olayinka published his voter registration details on X without his consent, including information relating to the transfer of his voter registration from Imo State to the Federal Capital Territory.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1272/2026, the actor is asking the court to declare that the publication violated his constitutional right to privacy and protections guaranteed under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, as well as relevant international human rights instruments.

He is also seeking N10 billion in general and aggravated damages against Olayinka and INEC, to be paid jointly and severally, for the alleged breach of his fundamental rights.

Additionally, Ike wants the court to compel Olayinka to delete the post from his X account and publish an unreserved written apology.

He also argued that a June 2 press statement issued by INEC amounted to an admission of liability over the incident.

Both respondents have, however, asked the court to dismiss the suit.

INEC, in its counter-affidavit, argued that the information referenced by Ike was neither confidential nor sensitive, maintaining that voter details are published in line with the Electoral Act, 2026.

The commission insisted that it did not suffer any data breach and that the information shared by Olayinka did not originate from its secured database.

Olayinka also denied violating Ike’s rights, arguing that the information he published consisted only of the actor’s name and passport photograph, which were already in the public domain.

He contended that, having sought elective office, Ike voluntarily submitted the information to INEC and the public, adding that he was under no legal obligation to obtain the actor’s consent before publishing details that were already publicly accessible.

Olayinka further described the N10 billion damages sought as baseless and urged the court to dismiss the suit in its entirety, insisting that the publication neither breached the law nor caused the injuries alleged by the applicant.

The Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected an attempt by human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, to tender uncertified documents in his ongoing alleged defamation trial involving President Bola Tinubu.

Justice Mohammed Garuba Umar ruled on Wednesday that the documents could not be admitted as evidence because they were public documents that had not been certified in accordance with the Evidence Act.

The disputed documents, which included a summary of proceedings relating to the testimony of a witness identified as “XYZ” and other correspondences, were presented through Barrister Wayne Chikezie Elijah after Sowore’s lead counsel, Olumide Fusika (SAN), called him as the third defence witness.

Proceedings took a dramatic turn when it emerged that Elijah had remained inside the courtroom despite an earlier directive by the court registrar requiring all prospective defence witnesses to stay outside until called to testify.

During cross-examination, counsel to the Department of State Services (DSS), Akinlolu Kehinde (SAN), asked Elijah whether he had been present while an earlier defence witness, Uwen Davis, testified.

Elijah admitted that he had moved in and out of the courtroom during the proceedings.

Relying on the Evidence Act, the DSS objected to the admissibility of the documents, arguing that public documents must be certified before they can be relied upon in court.

Kehinde urged the court to reject the exhibits.

In response, Fusika maintained that the documents formed part of court records and therefore did not require certification.

Delivering his ruling, Justice Umar held that the documents had remained in the custody of a lawyer who claimed to have previously handled the matter, raising concerns about their authenticity.

He noted that certification serves to assure the court that public documents have not been altered or tampered with, and consequently rejected the documents, directing that they be marked accordingly.

Earlier in the proceedings, DSS Principal Officer Uwen Davis testified that he authored a letter dated September 7, 2025, to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of X Corporation, requesting the removal of a post in which Sowore allegedly described President Tinubu as a criminal.

According to Davis, the letter warned that the publication could trigger unrest because some of the President’s supporters had become agitated.

However, under cross-examination, he admitted he could not identify the specific supporters referred to in the letter and disclosed that he wrote it on the instruction of a superior officer.

Following the day’s proceedings, Justice Umar adjourned the case until July 28 for the continuation of the defence.

The matter comes days after the court issued a final warning to Sowore to open his defence or risk forfeiting the opportunity to do so.

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has openly declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid, aligning himself with the Rainbow Coalition championed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, while endorsing Kingsley Chinda as his preferred candidate for the 2027 Rivers State governorship election.

The governor made the declaration during the groundbreaking ceremony of the Rivien Medical Industry project in Rumuosi, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, where he announced that the political differences that once divided Rivers had been resolved.

Addressing supporters at the event, Fubara said he had reunited with his former political family and urged his loyalists to embrace the Rainbow Coalition, a cross-party alliance spearheaded by Wike to consolidate political support for President Tinubu and coordinate electoral victories in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to him, Tinubu remains the leader everyone should support, stressing that the coalition now represents the collective political direction of the state.

He also publicly endorsed Kingsley Chinda as the governorship candidate he would support, calling on all those who identify with his leadership to rally behind Chinda and every other candidate presented by the Rainbow Coalition.

Fubara dismissed suggestions that his supporters should remain outside the coalition in anticipation of political rewards, insisting that there was nothing to negotiate.

Declaring that he had already returned to his political family, the governor urged everyone to fully identify with the coalition and work towards sustaining peace and political stability in the state.

He maintained that the era of political confrontation was over, saying Rivers State must now focus on reconciliation and development rather than prolonged conflict.

Fubara further warned politicians against invoking his name to promote any political agenda outside the Rainbow Coalition, making it clear that his allegiance now lies completely with the alliance.

He stressed that he would not support any movement capable of creating fresh divisions in Rivers State, adding that his priority is to move the state forward in an atmosphere of unity.

The governor’s remarks represent his clearest public alignment with Wike since both leaders embarked on reconciliation following their prolonged political feud.

The rivalry between Fubara and his predecessor had dominated Rivers politics since 2023, leading to deep divisions within the state’s political structure and the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The crisis eventually prompted President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State in March 2025.

However, both camps have in recent months repeatedly expressed commitment to peace, with Fubara’s latest declaration confirming his full integration into the Wike-led political bloc as political activities ahead of the 2027 elections intensify.

Fresh developments have emerged in the trial of the alleged Director-General of the disowned Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Mathew Adeniyi Adeyemi, with indications that prominent human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana (SAN), has reportedly withdrawn from the case.

Sources familiar with the matter disclosed that Falana is no longer representing Adeyemi, whose trial centres on allegations surrounding the activities of the controversial organisation and its purported links to the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.

According to the sources, although Falana had initially indicated his willingness to defend Adeyemi, difficulties encountered in obtaining critical documents needed to prepare the defence may have prompted his decision to step aside.

The sources further claimed that several documents requested by the defence team were not made available, hampering adequate preparation for the trial.

They also revealed that efforts had previously been made to secure Adeyemi’s appearance in court, but he failed to attend earlier proceedings.

On July 14, 2026, Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court issued a warrant for Adeyemi’s arrest after he failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment over charges relating to the activities of the alleged fake PFIPC.

His counsel was also absent when the matter was called.
The arrest warrant was granted following an oral application by the prosecution counsel, Wisdom Madaki.

Adeyemi was subsequently apprehended in Osun State after law enforcement authorities declared him wanted.

As of the time of filing this report, neither Falana nor his law firm had issued an official statement confirming his withdrawal from the case, while efforts to obtain his reaction were unsuccessful.

The trial has continued to attract public attention amid growing concerns over organisations allegedly presenting themselves as government agencies without official recognition or authorisation.

The court has adjourned the matter until September 30, 2026, for further hearing.