Retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar has disclosed previously unknown details about the events surrounding the death of late military ruler Sani Abacha in 1998, according to an excerpt from his autobiography, Call of Duty, published by Cable Books, an imprint of Cable Media & Publishing Ltd and distributed by Rovingheights Bookstores.

In the book excerpt, reported by TheCable, Abdulsalami said he was called early on June 8, 1998, and informed that Abacha wanted to see him. However, on arriving at the Presidential Villa, he was reportedly made to wait and later locked inside a room for over an hour without explanation.

He wrote that uncertainty grew during the waiting period, until the then Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Coomassie, eventually entered and asked him to proceed. It was at that point, according to Abdulsalami, that he was informed that Abacha had died.

He added that he requested to see the late head of state’s body and later prayed for him after confirming his death.

Abdulsalami did not state who ordered the room to be locked, but suggested that some officers may have had other intentions during the transition period. Later that same day, he was selected as Abacha’s successor by the Provisional Ruling Council before overseeing Nigeria’s brief transition to civilian rule in 1999.

The account offers rare personal insight into one of Nigeria’s most pivotal political transitions, marking the end of military rule under Abacha and the emergence of Abdulsalami’s short-lived administration.