Remember these news story?:

[size=18pt]26 September, 2002, BBC News
Deal on Abacha's millions 'collapses'[/size]

Reports from Switzerland say a deal on the return to Nigeria of millions of dollars deposited in Swiss banks by the late Nigerian military ruler, General Sani Abacha, has collapsed.

Swiss Justice Ministry officials are quoted as saying the deal has fallen through because General Abacha's son, Mohammed, has not signed vital legal papers releasing the money.
The extraordinary out-of-court agreement between Nigeria and General Abacha's bereaved family was reached in May.

It was agreed the general's family could keep $100 million provided that his son signed an agreement enabling foreign banks in Switzerland and elsewhere to return to Nigeria a further $1 billion of allegedly looted money.

Embarrassment

The deal was apparently linked to the release from prison this week of Mohammed Abacha, ending his three-year period behind bars on charges of embezzlement.

Suspicions that the deal might be going awry arose on Wednesday when jubilant Mohammed was quoted as saying that - despite his release - he had made no commitment to sign anything.

Now the increasingly embarrassed Swiss authorities have acknowledged that they have received no signed papers, and therefore are in no position to hand over any of the Abacha family fortune to Nigeria.

Throughout this long affair, Nigerian President Obasanjo has faced a no-win situation.

He was condemned by one side for negotiating any deal with the Abachas.

At the same time, Mr Abacha's supporters slammed the president for detaining the general's son for so long on what they say are spurious charges

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2282366.stm
[size=18pt]It now all makes sense.

Obasanjo had to release Mohammed Abacha because of pressure from powerful traditional leaders and Emirs in Kano, who had been lobbied by Abacha's widow Miryam Abacha.


It has now clear to me that there was now deal with Abacha family, because they had no loot in foreign accounts.

Obasanjo knew that after he released Mohamed, he had to also drop the fake legal cases in foreign countries as he does want Mohammed Abacha, to get a chance to expose their lies in open court.

Which is why Obasanjo never resumed the prosecution after he claimed Mohammed Abacha had reneged on the deal
[/size]

Switzerland has returned $500m Abacha loot to $500m GEJ loot

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[size=28pt]How Abacha Was Killed, By Uba Ahmed[/size]

Of course Abacha never died a natural death. Abacha was murdered. You see there were two Indian girls who were dormant operators of the foreign intelligence and they had to be flown in because every measures that were taken to get assess to Abacha was aborted because of the vigilance of his Security Agents. So when the two girls came, they were introduced to Abacha through his innocent friends, they don't even know what this girls were all about.

But for you to know that Abacha was killed deliberately, you need to read either Newsweek or The Time magazine I'm not sure which of the two because it's now almost 9 years ago. But one of them when they were covering the death of Abacha, you need to read loaded sentence, it said Abacha died, I am quoting now "Abacha died because he took a pill which he thought was Viagra" it obviously means by this sentence that the author of that story knew that Abacha was not taking Viagra and it also means that the suggestion of that writing that the very person who administered that drug on him knew it was administering Viagra. Therefore it meant he was being administered with poison and there is no doubt about it. With the way he died and the immediacy of his death having taken the drug speaks load. Viagra doesn't kill in minutes. But he died minutes after taking the pill. He was obviously killed and that is my conclusion.

You were the Minister of Labour then and was still in office for sometime after Abacha died so why were the Indian ladies not arrested and so on?

You know this is a security matter. I did not know how the security people handled it, but I do remember very well that I called their attention to that publication and I asked them to read it very well and to read it between the lines. So what they did to them, I knew also that they put them under house arrest not in prison but under house arrest. So I won't be able to say much about the security aspect of that one.

In fact they wanted Abacha to die because they wanted the Nigerian naira to go back from where it has come from the SAP era so that it will continue to have a free fall like we are having during Obasanjo and they wanted to take over our oil, all our assets to be sold and indeed all our assets have effectively been sold now by Obasanjo. They did not only sell but they even confiscated by force, unconstitutionally, illegally properties of Nigerian citizens and allotted it to themselves. That is the kind of government we went through for eight years.

Abdulsalami Abubakar himself did not help us when he took over, because when they were talking of Abacha having so much money or Abacha loot, Abacha loot. What has amazed me and what has surprised me is that no Nigerian yet has taken it up to embark on investigative reporting to find out really how did Abdulsalam Abubakar came about the information of Abacha loot in Switzerland.

Switzerland is one country where the Jews have been hiding their assets and wealth, gold, money and everything they own that is precious since 1917 during the 1st world war including the 2nd world war, from 1917 till today the Jews are unable to get assess to their inheritance because of the coding system and the absolute secrecy with which the Swiss account are shrouded and yet Abdulsalami was able to tell us within his 7 days of ascendancy to power that Abacha looted money and that they have found out the account, they have found out the numbers and that they have found out the balances.

Now I will tell you one thing. When Obasanjo came he confirmed it and having confirmed that he even went forward to say they have recovered some of the loot and our Senate made it as one of the basis of impeaching Obasanjo, the disclosure of the money they have recovered because its not been receipts, it has never been reflected in our accounts, budget or the federation account and therefore the senators when they wanted to impeach him made that as one of the subjects of investigation and impeachment.

I can even tell you more, like I have told you repeatedly, Abacha's government was the only government that operated under sanction, yet when he came to power Nigeria was owing foreign loan of $33 billion by the time he left Abdulsalami himself had announced in his budget speech that our loan was reduced to 26 billion which meant during the 5 years of Abacha, he was able to repay 7 billion dollars.

In addition to the repayment of 7 billion to our foreign debt, we had a domestic debt of over a hundred million (100,000,000), Abacha paid it. Abacha left foreign reserve of $9 billion when you add that to $7 billion that is $16 billion.role of the west, economic policies and more,


http://odili.net/news/source/2007/oct/21/200.html

[size=18pt]Louis Farrakhan talks about reason he believes Abacha was assassinated.[/size]

[flash=400,400]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBQZELCKB2s?version=3&feature=player_detailpage[/flash]

[size=23pt]Swiss court document on so-called "Abacha Loot" case, shows Abacha was maliciously and unjustly blamed[/size]

http://www.mcswisslaw.com/pages_e/2008%20Monfrini%20-%20The%20Abacha%20Case.pdf

[size=18pt]" The existence of a system of confiscation orders that is independent from a criminal conviction is therefore a necessity in grand corruption cases. In this context, reversing the burden of proof or imposing procedural consequences on the failure of the asset holder to cooperate regarding the origin of the assets, appear to be best legislative practice. The presumption of innocence does not necessarily apply to confiscation proceedings and ‘presumptions of fact or of law operate in every criminal-law system and are not prohibited in principle’ and therefore do not breach the right to a fair trial.28 "[/size]


[size=18pt]This is 21 page Swiss court document but the above extract is very revealing indeed.

Basically, by qualifying Abacha's family members together with PDP stooges claiming to be Abacha's business associates as a 'Criminal Organisation', Nigerian Government did not need to prove that the funds in the foreign accounts belonged to Abacha, The Onus was on Abacha to proof that he was innocent of the charges.

Of course a deceased man could not do that.

Abacha's son Mohammed could not fully challenge the allegations as he was locked up at the time by Obasanjo on trumped up charges.[/size]

As we watch Nigeria's dismal performance in the olympics ask yourselves who was in power when Nigeria won our first 2 Olympic gold medals in 1996?

This information is shocking to Nigerians, and we should be outraged at our useless journalists for allowing and participating in the biggest mass deception of a nation in history.

Please let me know whether the evidence I just provided is shocking , convincing or otherwise.

What do you all think?

[size=18pt]Sani Abacha - The Politician[/size]

Few of the late head of state and commander-in-chief of the Nigerian armed forces, General Sani Abacha’s achievements include the construction of the federal House of Representatives complex, Abuja, as a major step taken towards the realisation of a stable and durable democracy in this country.

As the late Head of state and C-in-C of the Armed Force Federal Republic of Nigeria, he brought peace, unity and understanding by applying democratic approach to solve delicate and serious problems capable of not only causing havoc in this country, but could as well lead to the country’s total disintegration, thereby causing bloodshed and total loss of peace and unity.

Late head of state and C-in-C of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha in his gifted power to stabilize the social, political and economic status of Nigerian, introduced the National Constitutional Conference where the country’s constitution was deliberated and endorsed to favour each and every Nigerian Regardless of ethnic, tribal, religious or sectional affiliation that healed the political sickness that plagued the Nigerian political system and restored sanity in it.

His decision to divide the country in to six zones further paved way to interested Nigerians to feel free and involve themselves fully in Nigerian political arena. Similarly, Nigerians were given the opportunity to form their own political associations, some of which were duly registered by the National Electoral Commission, NECON. It should not be forgotten that foreign observes, who cam to Nigeria to assess the political programme, gave the late Head of state and commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha a pass mark and praised him greatly on the issue. On the other hand, for the first time in Nigerian History, the late General Abacha devised means of getting all sections of the country to participate actively in governance the some time, by adopting the six geo-political zones. He nearly completed a successful transition to civil rule programme with the registration of five political parties.

The late head of state and commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Abacha also established the federal character Commission, to deal with the imbalance in federal appointments in both the Civil service and the Parastatal and to put to rest the issue the marginalization , which has plagued Nigeria.

He also established the National Reconciliation Committee as a method of settling disputes through dialogue instead of the barrel of the gun. That alone taught the world a lesson in conflict resolution.

The exemplary leader on the other hand, established the devolution of power Committee to reduce the enormous concentration of power at the federal level to the states and local governments, in order to ensure a more stable Nigeria.

The late General Abacha in his effort to address the hardship being encountered by Nigerian workers, instructed for the implementation of the new salary structure so as to facilitate job satisfaction and inculcate in the minds of workers, the feeling of patriotism and dedication to duty.

Further more, the construction of the federal Housing Units in various part of the country, had drastically minimized the acute shortage of accommodation which workers used to face.

In order to answer the call of women believed to form the majority of the population in the country, the late head of sate and commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha Created the Ministry for women’s problems. That gave Nigerian woman the chance to participate actively in the country’s social, political and economic activities.

He also gave full moral backing to the family support Programme. (ESP)
Similarly, the family Economic advancement Programme also received funds from the government of the late head of state and Commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha in order to make the programme a reality. Individuals who formed various cooperative societies were given loans to boost their small-scale industries; handiwork and petty trading to enable them sustain their respective families.

And in order to reduce the rate of infant morbidity and mortality rate in the country, the government of the late head of state and Commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha fully financed the activities of t he National Programme on Immunization (NPI), So as to facilitate the eradication of the six-killer diseases among the children and expectant mother in the country.
This has been described as the first ever health programme to be introduced in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large.

Another unforgettable venture created by the Government of the late Head of sate and Commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces General Sani Abacha, is the petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF).
It was a unique initiative.

The first of its kind in Nigeria, Africa and the entire World. The fund’s activities in all the nooks and crannies of this country can be seen and felt. These include the provision of good roads, reliable bridges, and durable hospitals, introduced Drug revolving Scheme in the country and built the international tread Fair complex in kaduna.on the other hand, the Armed Forces and Police PTF also renovated the Barracks, the schools, the houses, the offices and put new Structures where necessary, to make life more conducive in the Barracks. Similarly, water and electricity were also provided in several Barracks for the General welfare of members of the armed forces and the Police. All these projects were aimed at improving the life standard of each and every Nigerian discreetly initiated by the late General Sani Abacha.

Vision 2010 is another milestone created by the Government under the leadership of the late Head of sate and commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha. Long-term Plans for the country to make it self-reliant politically and economically have been designed and implemented. These plans have already been in progress so as to transform Nigeria in to a more conducive and developed country. This will also fashion the way forward for Nigeria to join other nations in socio-economic and political advancement

He was also able trough his dynamic and exemplary leadership; reduce the country’s external debt portfolio from $32 b to $26 b.
He was able to revamp Nigeria’s foreign reserve as each and every Nigerian has witnessed.

Having observed how the majority of Nigerians were facing transportation problem, the government of the late general Sani Abacha introduced Federal Mass Assisted Bus service nationwide.
Town service and inter-state service have been offered to commuters at subsidized fares. Millions of people have been benefiting from this project every minute of the day.

The reactivation of the Nigerian Railways is also another breakthrough initiated by the Government of late head of sate and commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha. The rail lines were updated and renovated while new coaches were purchased and put into use for the benefit of the masses on the one hand for those who wish to transport their goods to other states at subsidized charges, safety, easily, and cheaply on the other hand.

The Nigeria Ports Authority was also given complete face-lift .Modern equipment and new ships were bought and those broken-down repaired and put in to use. These include the ship bought in Poland in 1994. Similarly, an agreement was reached to train Nigerians how to build and maintain ships of different sizes and models.

And in his effort to find other sources of revenue and the over-dependence on oil be minimized, the late head of sate and Commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, created the Ministry of Solid Mineral Resources with a mandate to explore and, find market for the abundant raw material this country has been blessed with.

Reactivating the Ajaokuta Rolling Mill to the last quarter of completion capacity was enough to earn the late General Sani Abacha Any Worldly Praise, his determination to make Nigeria self-reliant in terms of sourcing its own raw materials through the gigantic project would save a lot of foreign reserve.

Reactivating farm produce, especially cash corps like Cocoa, also received the late General’s blessings. The tremendous encouragement given to farmers to re-introduce the traditional farming system gave them the chance to spend less and gain more on their farms, while the local fertilizer firms in the country were encouraged to produce more as well as sell their products, which enhanced their earnings.

The call for the creation of more local governments and states in the country by some Nigerians who felt either neglected or deprived of their human rights as citizens of this country, was finally answered by the government of late head of sate and Commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha, Because he created 183 local government areas and six states in the country and that finally cooled down tempers. Further more, he created the state and urged them to be self –reliant, thus given them no funds as take-off and eventually making their creation much less expensive.

The late head of state and C-in-C of Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha, in his effort to contribute his quota in establishing a lasting peace and unity between members of the Nigerian Armed Forces, established the war college and renovated the Barracks and mad them more conducive.
The Sani Abacha Foundation centre, Abuja, as another discovery, which will be vividly seen in the history of this country. The Foundation is meant to foster peace, Unity and cordial relationship between Nigeria and the other countries of the world. Similarly, Sani Abacha Youth centre, Kano, is an institution which offers both Administrative and professional courses to our teeming youths to prepare them to pursue higher courses in our higher institutions of learning so as to attain better positions in various offices or become Self-reliant in due course.

To put Nigeria on a sound economic footing, the late General Sani Abacha created the Nigeria liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG).The project provides basis for commercialization of the extensive gas reserve in Nigeria and is a mechanism for an enormous reduction in the level of gas flaring, realizing a major environmental benefit. It also provides the opportunity for the development of new reserve, both offshore and onshore, with immediate utilization of the associated gas.

Economically, the pigging of the Naira to a Dollar brought sanity to the Nigerian markets and stabilized the prices of essential commodities by completely addressing inflation from a whopping 168% to 6, 3% between 1994 and May, 1998. (Courtesy of world Bank economic Release). The system also created more room for more trade and other business transactions.

The late Head of state and C-in-C of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha, politely refused to receive the IMF or the World Bank loan.

Another factor created by the late head of state and C-in-C of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha, which will go down in to the annals of the Nigerian history, is the draining of River Niger, a sole effort initiated and implemented by him. That alone is enough to make him a hero. Once the project is commissioned, the benefit to be derived from it, economically and socially, could hardly be assessed.

The creation of aluminium Smelting plant of Nigeria is another breakthrough, which will go down in to Nigerian history of the benefit of our future generation.

Considering the Socio-Economic and political status of Lagos state, its population the availability of Army Barracks, the Sea Port, the International Airport, having people from all walks of life, the embassies of several countries and being that Lagos was the former capital city of Nigeria, it should be anticipated that such a city must to be protected from anti-social problems (e.g. The Area Boys/Armed Robberies) and other related crimes which devastated the lives and businesses of the community residing in the city. The Late Head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha gave them his blessing because he cam to their aid. He deliberately appointed Colonel Buba Marwa, a suitable, educated and seasoned military officer, who triumphantly restored sanity and created development projects in the state.

As the National Population Commission, the administration of the Late General Sani Abacha was eventful. His unequivocal acceptance of the final tabulations of Census’91 crowned the labour and successes for the Commission to look into the future with a renewed sense of optimism in the otherwise arduous assignment of providing accurate and reliable data for the country.

The re-designing, sustaining and completion of Abuja Phase 11, the Federal Capital of Nigeria, should be seen as another wonderful achievement of the late head of state and C-in-C of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha.
The full backing of the exploration of oil in Bauchi, Gombe and Borno states should also be seen as a climax of another achievement of the Government of the late General Sani Abacha. The project, besides serving Nigerians at their doorsteps, would as well be another means of the federal government’s revenue drive.

In his bid to save the country from total disintegration and another civil war, the late head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha proscribed the countries labour union and replaced them with more reliable bodies. That was the only move capable of saving this nation from an unpredictable chaos. The nation was therefore saved and the purpose was achieved.

The late General Sani Abacha’s modest approach to life made him address’s himself as the Head of state and NOT as the President. He also called his Government the provisional Ruling Council, which he headed. That alone is enough to show that right firm the beginning; he was heading a transitional Government and not a Full-Pledged Government.

The late Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha detribalized Nigeria right from the top to the bottom because he appointed his Military Administrators and assigned them to states not of their origin, so that patriotism would prevail. Records have shown that the initiative has been very successful. This could be seen where Col. Dominique Oneya was assigned to Kano State, Col. Buba Marwa to Lagos State, Commdr. Raji Rasaki to Bouchi, etc; and they performed very well.

The Lat Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Abacha, in his bid to give each and every Nigerian his/her deserved human rights Commission to look in to all the social life of Nigerians with any genuine problem and solve it for them once and for all.

Nigerian are living witnesses about what Gen. Yakubu Gowon was accused of doing in this country. He was accused of being involved in Murtala coup, which made him, go on self-exile. After several years, Northern elders were confronted and urged to forgive and forget and they did, gowon returned home and he is now one of the country’s elders. There was never a time when his people turned their back on him.
On the other Hand, Late General Abacha should have conducted a thorough investigation on the Shonekan led government but he didn’t do it.
So it is not only ridiculous to see how some people furiously attack the families of the late head of state in magazines and newspapers by blackmailing them through character assassination, but also it is unbelievable because this is a man who instituted the federal character commission, the failed bank tribunal, the Economic Intelligence Commission to mention but few, then for God’s sake how could a man with such a vision do anything to deform his principles?

And another mystery is that why didn’t those who accuse the Lat Head of State, C-in-C, the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Sani Abacha of wrongdoing (because they know that he can not cam out now and defend himself) , refuse to pull out of his government? What did their continuous stay in his government means? One single person can not lead a government, can he? So why is it always Abacha! Abacha! Abacha! How clean are the hands of those who accuse him of wrong doing? Think about it.
Likewise, the Late General Abacha’s patriotism and exemplary leadership earned him the seat of the Chairman for ECOWAS for two consecutive terms. He also gave his full support towards the successful implementation of the ECOWAS Travelers’Check.

His love for the peace, progress and development of Africa made him contribute immensely in restoring peace and stability in the war-torn Liberia. Democracy was restored, elections successfully held and the Government of President Charles Tailor cam into power.
Similarly, the democratically elected President Tijjen Kabah took over the mantle of leader ship of the Government of Sierra Leone, through the efforts of the Late Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha. That benevolent effort saved millions of lives of the Sierra Leonean and avoided the destruction of their property. No right thinking person would ever forget this humanitarian gesture.
During the time of the Late General Sani Abacha, As the Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, diplomatic ties with the neighbouring countries were strengthened while improved communion with Asian countries was carried out.

The Late General Sani Abacha was, during his life time, highly decorated and had earned the following honours:


•Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON)
•Order of the Federal Republic (OFR)
•Defence Service Medal (DSM)
•Nation Service Medal (NSM)
•General Service Medal (GSM)
•Republic Medal (RM)
•Silver Jubilee Medal (SJM)
•Force Service Star (FSS)
•Distinguished Service Star (DSS)
•Meritorious Service Star (MSS)
•Member, National Institute for policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos, (min).


Another achievement worth mentioning is that the late General Sani Abacha was the only Officer who followed the systematic rank of the Army from 2nd Lieutenant to the General without skipping any post.
His dedication to duty had earned him the Legion of Merit award in USA in 1991 for his unique contribution to the military, especially his role in restoring democracy in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
In a nutshell, some of the Late Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, General Sani Abacha’s Achievements during his tenure of office, include the establishment of the :

•Construction of the Federal House of Representatives
•The National Constitutional Conference
•The Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF)
•Supported and Financed the National Programme on Immunization.(NPI)
•The Federal Character Commission
•The National Electoral Commission of Nigeria
•The Registration of Five Political Parties
•The Zero Party Election
•The State Assembly Election
•The Failed Banks Tribunal
•Revamped Nigerian Foreign Reserve
•Introduced the Federal Mass Assisted Bus Service
•Reactivated the Nigerian Railways
•Revived the Nigerian Ports Authority
•Established the Ministry for Solid Mineral Resources
•Put New Life to Agriculture
•Reactivated the Ajakuta Steel Rolling Mill
•Established the War College
•Founded the Sani Abacha Foundation
•Established the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited
•Pegged the Naira to a Dollar
•Politely refused to Receive the IMF and World Bank Loans
•Fully Backed the dredging of the River Niger
•Fully Supported and Financed Oil exploration in Bauchi
•Gave the National Population Commission Total Banking
•Established the Aluminium Smelting Company
• Initially introduced the new Salary Structure
•Building of the Federal Housing Units Nationwide
•Drastically Reduced the external Debt
•Detribalized Nigeria’s Political System
•Established the Export Processing Zone
•National Deposit Insurance Corporation
•Introduced Value Added Tax (VAT)
•National Reconciliation Committee
•Proscribed the Labour Unions to Save Nigeria From Total Disintegration
•Sanitized and Developed Lagos State through the Appointment of Co. I Buba Marwa
•Transition Implementation Committee
•Liberated the Bakassi Peninsula
•Fought unnecessary foreign intervention in our Internal Affairs
•Fought foreign dependency syndrome
•Created Six New States and 183 local Government Councils
•Re-activated, Sustained and Financed the Completion of Abuja Phase 11
•Committee on Devolution of Power
•National Economic Intelligence Committee
•Vision 201O
•Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development
And many more Socio-economic and Political achievements only History will tell and reserve for the country's Future generation.


http://www.saniabacha.com/index1.php?getpage=the_politician

[size=18pt]24th Novemeber 1993 - The New York Times
ABACHA OFFERS CONCESSIONS TO PRO-DEMOCRACY GROUPS, NAMES ABIOLA'S RUNNING MATE AS FOREIGN MINISTER[/size]

LAGOS, Nigeria, Nov. 23— The head of Nigeria's new military Government made a concession today to pro-democracy forces, naming the man apparently elected Vice President in June to be Foreign Minister.

Baba Gana Kingibe, a career diplomat who was the running mate of Moshood K. O. Abiola, a businessman, in the June presidential election, was named External Affairs Minister by Gen. Sani Abacha.

Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, the longtime military chief, voided the June election, apparently won by Mr. Abiola, and named an interim leader, who was ousted last week by General Abacha.

General Abacha also named a radical anti-Government lawyer as his Attorney General and the publisher of a respected independent newspaper as his Internal Affairs Minister. Generals or Police Officers

But the rest of his 11-man ruling junta are generals or police officials.

The appointment of Mr. Kingibe is an apparent effort to stanch growing international condemnation of Mr. Abacha's takeover of the Government and his decision to dissolve all the elected federal, state and local legislatures.

Mr. Abacha named Alex Ibru, the publisher of The Guardian, an independent Lagos newspaper, as Internal Affairs Minister.

Mr. Ibru is the first member of a southern ethnic group to hold the important position, which had been held by the politically dominant northern peoples. Voided Results of Election

Nigeria was plunged into civil and political turmoil after General Babangida, who took power in a 1985 coup with General Abacha's help, voided the results of the June election that was to restore democracy after a decade of military rule.

Mr. Abiola, the apparent winner and a member of the southern Yoruba ethnic group, was believed to have been opposed by the northern groups.

Mr. Babangida resigned under pressure on Aug. 26 and named a civilian supporter, Ernest Shonekan, as interim head of state.

Echoing promises made by the previous string of military rulers, General Abacha promised to rule only as long as it took to create a new constitution and move Nigeria to democracy.

The nation has been largely quiet this week, after a strike ended. The strike was called to protest major increases in fuel prices but was called off after increases were partly rolled back.





[size=18pt]5th December 1993 - The New York Times[b]
Abiola's affable meeting with Abacha puzzles Nigeria[/b][/size]
LAGOS, Nigeria, Nov. 30— Nearly two weeks after the coup that brought Gen. Sani Abacha to power, there still has not been a clear statement by Moshood Abiola whether he supports or plans to oppose the country's newest military rulers.

Mr. Abiola, who is presumed to have won last June's presidential elections, has been uncharacteristically reticent when asked to comment on the military's renewed grip on power. Mr. Abiola traveled to Britain last weekend, leaving many of his closest friends and advisers puzzled over his behavior.

The June 12 election was intended to return Nigeria to democracy, but Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, the previous military ruler prior to General Abacha, declared the results void. Since then, Mr. Abiola has loudly and persistently insisted that he is Nigeria's democratically elected leader and has begun an aggressive campaign in the courts to overturn General Babangida's decree, as well as giving tacit approval to protests aimed at restoring the vote.

Mr. Abiola's recent lack of candor is particularly striking given his well publicized monthlong tour last summer to several European capitals and to Washington where he asked Nigeria's traditional allies and aid donors to impose sanctions against the country's military leaders. He argued then that the military's iron grip over virtually every aspect of party politics here was inherently undemocratic and potentially explosive, given Nigeria's long-simmering ethnic and religious rivalries.

Mr. Abiola received widespread encouragement from Western politicians, particularly the Congressional Black Caucus in the United States, which publicly supported his effort.

"We are obviously disappointed that the leader of the June 12th process has not been as forthcoming as one would think he should be," said Olisa Abukuba, president of the Civil Liberties Organization, a Lagos-based pro-democracy group. Mr. Abukuba, in fact, speculated that Mr. Abiola may have "advance knowledge of events that led up to the coup and there was some kind of deal in exchange for his report of the Abacha Government."

Jonathan Zwingina, Mr. Abiola's campaign manager, said in an interview that the position of the industrialist is "unequivocal," meaning that he continues to support efforts to put the results of last June's elections into effect.

"Abiola's surrender. Why?" asked a front-page headline in The African Guardian, Nigeria's largest weekly. The article described how Mr. Abiola has bickered with pro-democracy leaders over whether it was still worth fighting the military over its decision to annul the June 12th elections.

According to another account that appeared in some newspapers here, Mr. Abiola had secretly plotted with General Abacha to overthrow the interim, military-backed government of Ernest Shonekan. According to this scenario, General Abacha, once securely installed, would gradually hand over power to Mr. Abiola's closest associates and eventually relinquish the presidency to Mr. Abiola himself.

Whatever the case, pro-democracy leaders were still stunned when, several days after General Abacha's coup, Mr. Abiola was seen on national television conferring with the new military leader. And judging from the affable smiles and laughter between the two men as they left the meeting, whatever political differences they may have had seemed to have been resolved.

"I consider it quite upsetting that Abiola, the leader of a democratic movement, should be one of those paying courtesies to Abacha," said Dr. Peter Ferriera, a former military officer who is active in the pro-democracy movement. "The impression one gets is that he sold out, that he's now one of them."

Significantly, the next day, Mr. Abiola's former Vice Presidential running mate, Baba Gana Kingibe, joined the new military administration as its chief diplomat. Mr. Abiola, questioned later, said the move had his blessing.

After ousting Mr. Shonekan on Nov. 17, General Abacha dissolved the legislature and all other forms of elected government. So far, he has given no hint of if or when Nigeria might return to elected civilian rule.


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