Release The Abacha Tape: Amachree Challenges Al-mustapha Over CCTV Footage

Former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree , has challenged Hamza Al-Mustapha , former Chief Security Officer to late Head of State Gen. Sani Abacha, to publicly release CCTV footage contradicting the account of Abacha’s 1998 death documented in Amachree’s memoir, DSS @ 40: My Journey Behind the Shield . Amachree, whose book attributes Abacha's death to a coitus-induced cardiac arrest, issued this challenge following Al-Mustapha's dismissal of the claims.

Amachree insists that if Al-Mustapha possesses video evidence contradicting the agency’s records, it is his responsibility to produce it for historical accuracy. By demanding the release of the tape, Amachree seeks to defend the integrity of his published recollections regarding the contentious circumstances surrounding the military dictator’s final moments.

Al-Mustapha previously dismissed the narrative, alleging that the former DSS officer was merely following a script written by unnamed individuals.

“The boy was asked to write the lies by others. I have all the CCTV footages of what happened in my custody, so what he said are not true,” Al-Mustapha had said.

Responding in an interview with The Nation, Amachree insisted that Al-Mustapha should substantiate his claims with evidence rather than attacking his person.

“If he says he knows what happened that night, let him release the CCTV footage,” Amachree said.

The retired intelligence officer maintained that his memoir was not published without scrutiny, explaining that it underwent official vetting by the DSS before its release as part of activities marking the agency’s 40th anniversary.

“The book was vetted and approved by the DSS before publication,” he said.

Amachree added that the security agency invited him from the United States for the book launch, which was attended by senior DSS officials, state directors of the service and members of the diplomatic community.

He also dismissed Al-Mustapha’s reference to him as “a boy”, arguing that his career progression in the DSS placed him above the retired army officer in rank.

“I was seven years old when Nigeria gained independence. I retired as an assistant director, which in army terms is equivalent to a brigadier, while Al-Mustapha retired as a major,” he said.

The exchange is the latest in the growing controversy over the circumstances surrounding Abacha’s death in June 1998, with both former security officials offering conflicting accounts of the late military ruler’s final moments.