NIGERIA’S WHITEWASHED HEADS OF STATE — THE KANO EMPERORS (2)
By: Akinyemi, Muhammed Adedeji
When Abacha died in the early hours of Monday, June 8, 1998, many Nigerians did not know that their Head of State (HOS) had been partying all night till about 3:30 am when his friend of 30 years Lt-General Useni left him alone to sleep. Abacha died before dawn from a heart attack. Nigerians’ limited knowledge of Abacha was not restricted to his constant partying; Nigerians just did not know Abacha.
Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha was born on September 20, 1943 (1), in the town of Kano, Northern Nigeria. Abacha attended the Gidan Makama Primary School, Kano, before proceeding to the Provincial Secondary School (Rumfa College), Kano. Abacha joined the Nigerian Military Training College, Kaduna, in 1962 alongside Babangida, Sani Sami, Gado Nasko, moving onwards to have a prolific military education in Aldershot and Warminster both in the UK, and a stint at Monterey, USA. Abacha was commissioned into the Nigerian Army as Second Lieutenant in 1964, going on to become the first Officer to achieve a 4-star-general Rank without skipping any rank and before becoming Head of State. He married Mariam Jidah, whom he met when he was in Rumfa College; they had ten children together.
