JUNE 8 AND THE DEATH OF ABACHA

June 8, 1998 was a memorable day in the history of Nigeria. In the wee hours of June 8, 1998 an announcement that changed the history of Nigeria was made. It was the sudden death ofGeneral Sanni Abacha, the tyrant that seized power in 1993 after General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) who cancelled the only true democratic election that was won by Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola (MKO) decided to “step- aside” and put in place ‘an Interim Government” led by Ernest Shonekan.

People mourn the death of others people, close family member, loved ones, friends, famous people, changemakers and pets. We simply mourn but Nigerians did not mourn when Abacha’s sudden death was announced. They took to the street, dancing, singing, celebrating, thanking God for His intervention.

A lot of atrocities were perpetrated during Abacha’s rule; embezzlement of public fund, a lot of the killings of innocent Nigerians, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Suliyat Adedeji amongst others were assassinated. Several activists were jailed. The Niger Delta opposition activist Ken Saro-Wiwa; the Ogoni Leader and 9 others were executed after the kangaroo tribunal set up by Abacha found them guilty for speaking out against the environmental damage to the Niger Delta caused by Shell Oil through its 37 years of drilling in the region.

Abacha during his reign, promised Nigerians that he was there to help Nigeria return to democracy and in truth the only democracy he had in mind was self-succession. He was ready to become another Mugabe of Africa. Thinking he was unstoppable, he went ahead with his self – successions plans aided by some of well-known Nigerians, the likes of Daniel Kalu, Chief Femi Aluko that did not mean well for Nigeria. He was declared our messiah but the true messiah that will never share His glory with anyone came and called him home?

That was how our oppressor, the killer of the innocent, the by force-ruler, the embezzler of National treasures gave up the ghost unceremoniously. Some Nigerians are clamouring for June 8 to be our democracy day because of the miracle of the day. This is debatable because June 4 and June 12 are equally important. They are days never to be forgotten in the history of Nigeria.