General Sani Abacha, the late military dictator of Nigeria, died today, 17 years ago, in contentious circumstances.

To many Nigerians, home and abroad, Abacha was perceived and remembered as a totalitarian, who had Ken Saro-Wiwa hanged, used his power to the extreme and looted the reserves of the nation.

However, it would be a great disservice to remember him for just that, as he also did some other significant things in his time as leader of the Nigerian nation.

Here are 10 notable things/feats (some bad, some good) Abacha would be remembered for;

 

1. Abacha successfully partook in 2 coups

In 1983, Abacha assisted Ibrahim Babangida in overthrowing Shehu Shagari, after just being elected to his second presidential term. Ten years later in 1993, Abacha overthrew the civilian interim government of Ernest Shonekan.

 

2. Abacha killed Ken Saro-Wiwa

 Abacha became infamous for the imprisonment, trial, and execution for treason of writer Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni activists who were concerned with the environmental exploitation of their region by multinational petroleum companies.

 

3. Abacha controlled the press and military

During his days, Abacha banned political activity of any kind, fired a large portion of the military, controlled the press, and assembled a personal security force of some 3,000 men.

 

 

4. Abacha made Nigerian Army respected

Abacha supported the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its military arm, ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), by sending troops to restore democracy in Liberia and Sierra Leone after a series of military coups in both countries.

 

 

5. Abacha created PTF, NLNG

Gen Abacha created the Petroleum Trust Fund and did significant capital and infrastructural projects across Nigeria, as well as the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas company (NLNG).

 
6. The economy grew in Abacha’s era

 The Abacha administration became the first to record unprecedented economic achievements, going on to oversee an increase in the country’s foreign exchange reserves from $494 million in 1993 to $9.6 billion by the middle of 1997. It also reduced the external debt of Nigeria from $36 billion in 1993 to $27 billion by 1997.

 
7. Inflation rate was significantly reduced during Abacha’s time

 Abacha brought all the controversial privatization programs of the Babangida administration to halt, reduced an inflation rate of 54% inherited from Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida to 8.5% between 1993 and 1998, all while the nation’s primary commodity, oil was at an average of $15 per barrel.

 

8. Nigeria’s coffers was well-looted by Abacha

It is widely believed that no other Nigerian leader looted the Nigerian treasury as much as Sani Abacha. During his regime, he and his family reportedly stole a total of £5 billion from the country’s coffers.

 

9. Abacha is rumoured to have been killed by prostitutes

 Abacha died in June 1998 while at the presidential villa in Abuja. Many believe he may have been executed extra-judicially by way of being poisoned by Indian prostitutes from Dubai, however, the government identified the cause of death as a sudden heart attack.

 

10. Abacha never held a political appointment as a military man

 Abacha refused to accept a single political appointment throughout his military career, Abacha has been described as the epitome of military discipline.