57-719: Sani Abacha GCFR ( ( listen ) ; (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military dictator and statesman who ruled Nigeria as the military head of state from 1993 following a palace coup d'état until his sudden death in 1998. Abacha's seizure of power was the last successful coup d'état in Nigerian military history . He wielded power with an unyielding attitude and his rule heralded an unprecedented total disregard for human rights with several political assassinations and summary executions of dissidents and political opponents in Nigeria. His rule drew disrepute to
114-584: A Composite Division in May 2002. 3rd Armoured Division was responsible in 1983 for the security of areas bordering Chad . Lagos and Abuja have garrison commands, with the Lagos garrison as large as a division. 81st Division was previously the youngest division, formed on 26 May 2002 when the Lagos Garrison Command (as it then was) was upgraded to divisional status. The Division, therefore, inherited
171-466: A Jersey account (£210m in British pounds). In 2019, more than 20 years after his death the U.S. Justice Department, Jersey courts and the government of Nigeria completed a civil asset forfeiture against the funds and they will be divided between those countries. Abacha oversaw the re-organisation of Nigeria into six geopolitical zones , in order to reflect cultural, economic, and political realities of
228-753: A force multiplier in combat operations. Training and Doctrine Command formed in 1981, and is located at Minna . It supervises the Army's schools, including the Depot. On 27 April 2023, the Nigerian Army conducted the largest Presentation of Colours in the Commonwealth on Eagle Square, Abuja , issuing 53 new colors to preexisting units an 28 colors to newly established units 81 colours being issued). The Nigerian Army as of 2016 consisted of some 6,000 officers and 150,000 enlisted personnel. The army itself
285-540: Is an overpoperated, economically depressed area, where massive unemployment is likely to prevail for some years." Furthermore, U.S. analysts would go on to state that: "Nigeria is still very much a tribal society, in which clan, tribal and regional jealousies, hostilities and interests count for more than national attachment. General Gowon , Head of the Federal Military Government (FMG), is the accepted national leader and his popularity has grown since
342-720: Is governed by the Nigerian Army Council (NAC). It members include: The Nigerian Army is functionally organized into combat arms, which are infantry and armoured; the combat support arms, which are artillery, engineers, signals, and intelligence. The following are installations owned by the Nigerian Army: The Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) located in Minna is responsible for doctrinal, training and combat development, and supervises training centers. There are 17 Corps Training Schools and
399-574: Is noted for having been the first Nigerian Army officer to attain the rank of a full military general without skipping a single rank. Abacha was the defence minister and most senior official within the military hierarchy during the crisis of the Third Republic . He orchestrated the coup d'état of 1993 which overthrew the Interim National Government of Ernest Shonekan . In his nationwide broadcast, Abacha portrayed
456-610: The 1985 Nigerian coup d'état which removed Buhari and brought General Ibrahim Babangida to power. When General Ibrahim Babangida was named President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1985, Abacha was named Chief of Army Staff . He was later appointed Minister of Defence in 1990. Abacha served as Chief of Army Staff from 1985 to 1990, as Chief of Defence Staff from 1990 to 1993, and as Minister of Defence . Abacha
513-587: The Abdulsalam Abubakar transitional government in November 1998 described the process. The report mentioned that Sani Abacha told Ismaila Gwarzo to provide fake national security funding requests, which Abacha approved. The funds were usually sent in cash or traveller's cheques by the Central Bank of Nigeria to Gwarzo, who took them to Abacha's house. Mohammed Sada then arranged to launder
570-719: The African-led International Support Mission to Mali . Nigeria claimed to have contributed more than twenty thousand troops and police officers to various UN missions since 1960. The Nigeria Police Force and troops have served in places like UNIPOM (UN India-Pakistan Observer mission) 1965, UNIFIL in Lebanon 1978, the UN observer mission, UNIIMOG supervising the Iran-Iraq ceasefire in 1988, former Yugoslavia 1998, East Timor 1999, and in
627-643: The Armed Forces of Liberia from at least 2007. The Nigerian Army is globally renowned for its professionalism and experience in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency; in 2022, the Nigerian Army won the award for the "Best Land Force in National Defence in Africa" in Banjul, Gambia . The Nigerian Army traces its history to Lieutenant John Hawley Glover 's Constabulary Force , which was largely composed of freed Hausa slaves in 1863. The Constabulary Force
SECTION 10
#1732772678441684-663: The Democratic Republic of the Congo ( MONUC ) 2004. Despite a disproportionate emphasis on the materiel and sophistication of the Nigerian Armed Forces, and despite possessing some formidable hardware, the Army has been hamstrung by technical deficiency and an exceptionally poor standard of maintenance. Its overabundance of foreign suppliers, including Austria , Brazil , France , Germany , Italy , Sweden , Switzerland , Romania , Turkey , Ukraine ,
741-871: The Fourth Nigerian Republic . Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic The Order of the Federal Republic ( OFR ) is one of two orders of merit, established by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 1963. It is senior to the Order of the Niger . The highest honours are the Grand Commander in the Order of the Federal Republic and Grand Commander in the Order of the Niger and they are awarded to
798-773: The Ghana Regiment and Southern Nigeria Regiment respectively by 1879. These regiments would be incorporated into the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) in 1900 by the British Colonial Office , following British military experiences in the Benin Expedition of 1897 , as well as wider British efforts of complete reorganization of its African colonial units such as that of the Egyptian Army earlier in
855-687: The Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot , England . Abacha was involved in all the military coups in Nigeria during his military career. In 1966, when he was still a second lieutenant with the 3rd Battalion in Kaduna , he took part in the July 1966 Nigerian counter-coup from the conceptual stage. He could well have been a participant in the Lagos or Abeokuta phases of the coup
912-502: The National Democratic Coalition was attributed with several bombings across the country, and several members were arrested. When Moshood Abiola proclaimed himself president, he was jailed for treason and subsequently died in custody. Also, former military ruler Olusegun Obasanjo was jailed for treason and accused of plotting a coup together with General Oladipo Diya . In 1997, General Shehu Yar'Adua who
969-740: The Nigerian Army College of Logistics (NACOL). The Army sponsors the Nigerian Military School at Zaria and Command Secondary Schools all over the federation. In December 1983 the new régime of the Head of State of Nigeria, Major General Muhammadu Buhari , announced that Nigeria could no longer afford an activist anti-colonial role in Africa. Anglophone members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) established ECOMOG , dominated by
1026-792: The US State Department , Abacha did have a few ties to American politicians. In 1997, Senator James Inhofe ( R - Oklahoma ) travelled to Nigeria to meet with Abacha as a representative of the " Family ", a group of evangelical Christian politicians and civic leaders. Abacha and the Family had a business and political relationship from that point until his death. Abacha also developed ties with other American political figures such as Senator Carol Moseley Braun (D-Illinois) Rev. Jesse Jackson and Minister Louis Farrakhan . Several African American political leaders visited Nigeria during his reign and Farrakhan supported his administration. Abacha
1083-522: The 9 Brigade, based at Ikeja Cantonment in northern Lagos, 82nd Division (Airborne and Amphibious) HQ in Enugu in the South-East, which includes the 2 Brigade at Port Harcourt, 13 Brigade at Calabar and the 34th Artillery Brigade at Obinze / Owerri . The Composite Division at Enugu was formed in 1964 as 4 Division, in 1975 became Lagos Garrison Organization; in 1981 became 4 Composite Division; became
1140-527: The Nigerian Army in the wake of the civil war witnessed a severe decline in troop quality. The expansion process overseen by the Nigerian army command staff led to an extreme shortage of commissioned officers, with newly created lieutenant-colonels commanding brigades, and platoons and companies often commanded by sergeants and warrant officers. This resulted in tentative command-and-control and in rudimentary staff work by Nigerian army personnel. One result of
1197-466: The Nigerian Army, in 1990 to intervene in the civil war in Liberia . Smaller army forces had previously carried out UN and ECOWAS deployments in the former Yugoslavia , Angola , Rwanda , Somalia , and Sierra Leone . The anti-colonial policy statement did not deter Nigeria under Generals Ibrahim Babangida in 1990 and Sani Abacha in 1997 from sending peacekeeping troops as part of ECOMOG under
SECTION 20
#17327726784411254-640: The Nigerian Army. It is governed by the Nigerian Army Council (NAC). The Nigerian Army is operationally and geographically divided into ten divisions, the basic field formation. The army has been involved in operations throughout the country, most especially during the Nigerian Civil War , and has undertaken major operations abroad. Nigerian Army officers have served as chiefs of defence in other countries, with Brigadier General Maxwell Khobe serving as Sierra Leone chief of staff in 1998–1999, and Nigerian officers acting as Command Officer-in-Charge of
1311-550: The Obasanjo administration disclosed that the whole Abacha loot was politicised by the administration for his re-election bid. On 7 August 2014, the United States Department of Justice announced the forfeiture of US$ 480 million, the largest in its history, to the Nigerian government. Jersey discovered more than $ 267 million in funds that were allegedly laundered through the U.S. banking system and deposited in
1368-709: The President and vice-president respectively. The Presiding Judge in the Supreme Court and the Chairman of the Senate are former officials Grand Commanders in the Order of the Niger . The Nigerians have followed the British example in the form and structure of the Order. There are also post-nominal letters for the members of the Order of the Niger. There is a Civil Division and a Military Division. The ribbon of
1425-651: The South-West, which includes 32 Artillery Brigade at Abeokuta ). 2nd Division also possibly includes 4 Brigade at Benin City , with 19 Battalion at Okitipupa and 195 Battalion at Agenebode . 52 Signal Regiment may be the divisional signals unit. 3 Division 's headquarters is at Rukuba Cantonment, Jos , in the North-East, and includes 21 Armoured Brigade Maiduguri , 23 Brigade Yola , and 33 Artillery Brigades. 81st Division (Amphibious) HQ in Lagos, which includes
1482-781: The United Kingdom and the United States. Abacha's death on 8 June 1998 brought about the Nigerian Fourth Republic a year later and he was succeeded as Nigeria's head of state by General Abdulsalami Abubakar . Abacha was born and brought up in Kano to a Kanuri family originally from present-day Borno State . He attended the Nigerian Military Training College in Kaduna , and was commissioned in 1963 after he had attended
1539-580: The artillery being raised from the North, but during the expansion of the force during the Second World War a large proportion of more educated southerners being brought in to take up posts that required more technical training. Like in Ghana , there was significant pressure to "Nigerianize" the armed forces, with, for example, two officers being promoted to Brigadier as a concession to public opinion on
1596-666: The auspices of ECOWAS into Liberia and later into Sierra Leone when civil wars broke out in those countries. President Olusegun Obasanjo in August 2003 committed Nigerian troops once again into Liberia, at the urging of the United States, to provide an interim presence until the UN's force UNMIL arrived. Charles Taylor was subsequently eased out of power by U.S. pressure and exiled to Nigeria. In October 2004, Nigerian troops were deployed into Darfur , Sudan to spearhead an African Union force to protect civilians there. In January 2013, Nigeria began to deploy troops to Mali as part of
1653-591: The cause of death as a sudden heart attack . It is believed by foreign diplomats, including United States intelligence analysts, that he may have been poisoned. His chief security officer , Hamza al-Mustapha, believed he was poisoned by Israeli operatives in the company of Yasser Arafat . At the time of his death, he was allegedly about to transfer power to a civilian government in October 1998, implemented in October 1995. After Abacha's death, General Abdulsalami Abubakar became head of state, whose short tenure ushered in
1710-531: The civil war to improve its logistics and administration. The reorganization he instituted permitted 3 Division to successfully conduct the offensive operations that would ultimately lead to the end the civil war in Nigeria. The Nigerian Army fought the Civil War significantly under-resourced; Obasanjo's memoirs chronicle the lack of any stocks of extra equipment for mobilisation and the "haphazard and unreliable system of procurement and provisioning" which lasted for
1767-503: The country with Nigeria becoming a pariah state in international relations particularly with regards to the execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa . Sani Abacha was one of the twentieth century's most corrupt dictators as a kleptocrat for the alleged embezzlement of US$ 2–5 billion. Abacha, and his family allegedly hid most of the loot abroad in Switzerland, as well as in other jurisdictions including Liechtenstein,
Sani Abacha - Misplaced Pages Continue
1824-473: The country's five political parties into endorsing him as the sole presidential candidate. In 1995, following the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa , Nigeria was suspended from the Commonwealth of Nations . While hosting Nelson Mandela , Abacha admitted he was advised against interfering with Saro-Wiwa's trial—but made assurances that he would use his rank in government to commute the sentence if death sentence
1881-500: The country, as a way to strengthen his agenda of Pan-Africanism . Abacha intervened in the Liberian Civil War . Through the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group , Abacha sent troops to Liberia to fight against the rising insurgency in the country. The Civil War, which began in 1989, saw an influx of Nigerian troops from 1990 when Abacha was defence minister. Despite being repeatedly condemned by
1938-515: The country. The 7th Division (also known as JTF-RO) was established in August 2013 for the war against Boko Haram . The creation of the new division brought to six the number of divisions. The 7th division is headquartered in Maiduguri. The division includes a combat motorcycle unit as part of its 25th Task Force Brigade. The purpose of this unit is stated as securing roads in Yobe and serving as
1995-533: The end of the war. The FMG is neither very efficient nor dynamic, but the recent announcement that it intends to retain power for six more years has generated little opposition so far. The Nigerian Army, vastly expanded during the war, is both the main support to the FMG and the chief threat to it. The troops are poorly trained and disciplined and some of the officers are turning to conspiracies and plotting. We think Gowon will have great difficulty in staying in office through
2052-467: The entire period of the war. Arms embargoes imposed by several Western countries made the situation more difficult. At the end of the Civil War, the three divisions of the Army were reorganised into four divisions, with each controlling territories running from North to South in order to deemphasise the former regional structure. Each division thus had access to the sea thereby making triservice cooperation and logistic support easier. This deployment formula
2109-778: The former Soviet Union , the United States and the United Kingdom , has also complicated logistics. Calculating the size and scope of replacement inventories alone is impossible given the menagerie of equipment in use. The Nigerian Army maintains at least eighty-two different weapon systems and 194 types of ammunition, of sixty-two different categories, from fourteen manufacturers. The Nigerian Army achieved an historic milestone after it activated its Aviation Corps in 2024 when it took delivery of two Bell UH-1H, "Huey" helicopters. The Nigerian Army Aviation Corps has over 60 aircraft on order which includes: About $ 3.2 million
2166-618: The latter division has a small red line in the middle. The order has four grades: Nigerian Army The Nigerian Army (NA) is the land force of the Nigerian Armed Forces . It is the largest component of the Nigerian Armed Forces . The President of Nigeria is the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff , who is the highest ranking military officer of
2223-461: The money to offshore accounts . An estimated $ 1.4 billion in cash was delivered in this way. In 2004, a list of the ten most self-enriching leaders in the previous two decades was released; in order of amount allegedly stolen, the fourth-ranked of these leaders was Abacha and his family who are alleged to have embezzled between $ 1 billion – $ 5 billion. In 2002, rumours circulated that Abacha's family purportedly agreed to return $ 1.2 billion. Sources in
2280-481: The occasion of the last British commander arriving in Lagos . From a force of 8,000 in five infantry battalions and supporting units, strength rose to around 120,000 in three divisions by the end of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970. In terms of doctrine, the task of the Federal Nigerian army did not fundamentally change: its task remained to close with and defeat an organized enemy. The rapid expansion of
2337-434: The overthrow as an act of stability brought about through the socio-political uncertainties caused by the 1993 presidential election . Abacha ruled as Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998. In September 1994, he issued a decree that placed his government above the jurisdiction of the courts effectively giving him absolute power. Another decree gave him
Sani Abacha - Misplaced Pages Continue
2394-488: The period which he said is necessary before the turnover of power to civilians. His sudden removal would dim the prospects for Nigerian stability." The influence of individual personalities is generally greater in the armies of developing states, as they tend to have weaker institutional frameworks. Key personalities involved in Nigeria included then-Colonel Olusegun Obasanjo . Obasanjo was particularly important due to his efforts to reorganize his command, 3 Division , during
2451-534: The previous January as well. In 1969, he fought during the Nigerian Civil War as a platoon and battalion commander. He later became commander of the 2nd Infantry Division in 1975. In 1983, Abacha was general officer commanding of the 2nd Mechanised Division , and was appointed a member of the Supreme Military Council . In 1983, Abacha played a prominent role in the 1983 Nigerian coup d'état which brought General Muhammadu Buhari to power; and
2508-508: The privatisation programs of the Ibrahim Babangida administration to a halt, reduced an inflation rate of 54% inherited from Ernest Shonekan to 8.5% between 1993 and 1998, all while the nation's primary commodity, oil was at an average of $ 15 per barrel. GDP growth, despite being estimated to be higher than the 2.2% growth in 1995, was largely limited to the petroleum sector . The unprecedented economic achievements coincided with
2565-480: The rapid expansion of embezzlement hitherto unseen in the history of corruption in Nigeria in the alleged saga known as "Abacha loot". Abacha's national security adviser, Alhaji Ismaila Gwarzo , was accused by the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo to have played a central role in the looting and transfer of money to overseas accounts . Abacha's son, Mohammed Abacha and best friend Alhaji Mohammed M. Sada were also involved. A preliminary report published by
2622-455: The regions: This was achieved after adding six states to the already existing 30 to make up the present 36 states in the country. Abacha held a constitutional conference between 1993 and 1995. Early in 1998, Abacha announced that elections would be held on 1 August, with a view toward handing power to a civilian government on 1 October. It later became apparent that Abacha had no intention of relinquishing power. By April 1998, Abacha had coerced
2679-489: The results of this failure of command experience and professionalism was the 1967 Asaba massacre , resulting in the deaths of some one thousand civilians and individuals of Igbo descent. In November 1970, the U.S. intelligence community concluded the following: "The Nigerian Civil War ended with surprisingly little rancor. The defeated Igbos are accepted as fellow citizens in many parts of Nigeria, but not in some areas of former Biafra where they were once dominant. [Iboland]
2736-482: The right to detain anyone for up to three months without trial. He further abrogated Decree 691 of 1993. Abacha assembled a personal security force of 3,000 men trained in North Korea . Abacha's chief security officer Hamza al-Mustapha had an iron grip on the apparatus of military security. The Nigeria Police Force underwent a large-scale retraining. The state cracked down ruthlessly on criminals and dissidents,
2793-554: The security roles hitherto performed by the defunct Lagos Garrison Command. However a later undated article in a Nigerian online newspaper says the 81st Division was later again renamed the Lagos Garrison Command. In the 1980s, the Army's brigades included the 7th Infantry Brigade in Sokoto. There are also Divisional Artillery Brigades, among which are the 32 and 34 Artillery Brigades, ordnance corps units as well as Combat Engineer Regiments, and many other service support units spread across
2850-527: The weak direction was that the federal government's three field divisions fought independently, and competed for men and material. Writing in a 1984 study, Major Michael Stafford of the United States Marine Corps noted the following: "Inexperienced, poorly trained and ineptly led soldiers manifested their lack of professionalism and indiscipline by massacres of innocent civilians and a failure to effectively execute infantry tactics." Among
2907-564: The year. During the Second World War , British-trained Nigerian troops saw action with the 1st (West Africa) Infantry Brigade , the 81st and the 82nd (West Africa) Divisions which fought in the East African Campaign (World War II) and in the Far East. The roots of the ethnic cleavages which started to rip through the army after independence had some of their origins in colonial recruiting practices, with line infantry and
SECTION 50
#17327726784412964-414: Was also jailed died in custody. Abacha's regime was accused of human rights abuses, especially after the hanging of Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa (only one of several executions of Ogoni activists opposed to the exploitation of Nigerian resources by the multinational petroleum company, Royal Dutch Shell ), whose death later led to the eviction of Nigeria from the Commonwealth Nations. Wole Soyinka
3021-570: Was charged in absentia with treason. Abacha's regime suffered opposition externally by pro-democracy activists. Abacha's administration oversaw an increase in the country's foreign exchange reserves from $ 494 million in 1993 to $ 9.6 billion by the middle of 1997, and reduced the external debt of Nigeria from $ 36 billion in 1993 to $ 27 billion by 1997. Abacha also constructed between 25 and 100 km of urban road in major cities such as Kano , Gusau , Benin , Funtua , Zaria , Enugu , Kaduna , Aba, Lagos , Lokoja and Port Harcourt . Abacha brought
3078-409: Was established with the primary goal of protecting the Royal Niger Company and its assets from constant military incursions by the neighboring Ashanti Empire . This policing force would slowly grow in size and capability to meet the needs of the British Empire in its West African territories, and would later form the nucleus of both the Gold Coast and the Hausa Constabulary, both of which would become
3135-420: Was later abandoned in favour of the present assignment of sectors to the divisions. Thus 1 Division with HQ at Kaduna is allocated the North West sector; 2 Division with HQ at Ibadan South West sector, 3 Division with HQ at Jos North East sector and 82 Division with HQ at Enugu South East sector. Its formations include the 1 Division , headquartered in Kaduna in the north-west, and 2 Division (HQ Ibadan in
3192-421: Was married to Maryam Abacha and had seven sons and three daughters. As of 2018, he had thirty-three grandchildren. The scars on his face were tribal markings . On Monday 8 June 1998, Abacha died in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja . He was buried on the same day according to Muslim tradition and without an autopsy , fueling speculation that he may have been assassinated. The government identified
3249-474: Was pronounced. Justice Ibrahim Auta was the judge presiding over the proceedings and sentenced Saro-Wiwa to death by hanging . Abacha did not commute the sentence. In 1997, Muammar Gaddafi 's West African Tour to Sani Abacha to mark the new Islamic year directly infringed United Nations Sanctions on Libya, yet he was greeted by thousands of Abacha's supporters who came out to demonstrate their loyalty in Kano . The Libyan leader sought to strengthen relations with
#440559