Abdulsalami Reveals How He Was Locked in a Room Before Succeeding Abacha

Former Nigerian Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar has revealed that he was tricked and locked inside a room on the morning General Sani Abacha died before later emerging as his successor.

In his autobiography, Call of Duty, which is being launched in Abuja to mark his 84th birthday, Abdulsalami said he received an early morning call on June 8, 1998, asking him to come to the Presidential Villa because Abacha wanted to see him. He said he was then kept waiting in a room for more than an hour before the door was eventually opened by the late Ibrahim Coomassie, then inspector-general of police.

Abacha died on June 8, 1998, and Abdulsalami was later chosen as Nigeria’s new head of state

The door was eventually opened by the late Ibrahim Coomassie, then inspector-general of police. “On Monday, 8 June, I received a call very early in the morning that he (Abacha) wanted to see me. I quietly prayed that he would not send me to Togo where there was going to be an ECOWAS summit. I was tired of going everywhere.

“By this time, Lt-General Diya, his No 2, was in detention (over an alleged coup plot). I was effectively the No 2 man in government and I was always representing him at events. I told my wife I was not happy with the call because I didn’t want to travel to Togo. I told my orderly to pack my travelling bag and other personal effects.

“As I entered the bathroom, there was another call. I was told again that the Head of State wanted to see me. Out of frustration, I asked if I was travelling to Togo and the caller replied that it was on another issue. Because of the urgency, I didn’t wear my uniform. I wore a tracksuit and slippers and proceeded to the Presidential Villa.

“On getting to his residence, I was told he was in the office. I wondered why he would be that early in the office. As I was climbing the stairs, one of the guards informed me that Abacha said I should stay in the waiting room. What struck me was that anytime I went to see him, regardless of who was with him, I would still go in.” After roughly half an hour of waiting, Abdulsalami grew uneasy. Major-General Ishaya Bamaiyi soon joined him.