During a routine checkpoint on a seldom-used back road, Officer Daniels flagged down a hearse for inspection. Something about the driver’s nervous demeanor and a strange odor emanating from the vehicle raised his suspicion. Reluctantly, the driver complied when Daniels demanded to see the contents of the coffin in the back. The sight inside left Officer Daniels reaching for his handcuffs. As he snapped on the cuffs, the driver’s panicked explanations only made the situation more baffling.
Officer Daniels escorted the driver to the side of the road and began questioning him. Daniels asked some basic questions: where he was coming from, where he was heading, and about the apparent smell from the vehicle. The driver’s answers came haltingly, avoiding direct eye contact, which only added to Daniel’s sense that something was off. The driver, visibly sweating, stumbled over his words while mentioning a funeral home. However, details were vague and inconsistent, and Daniels soon noticed that the funeral home mentioned on the side of the hearse didn’t even exist in the nearby area. This added a layer of intrigue and caution…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
Sensing the situation was far from routine, Daniels decided to radio in for backup. As he waited, he asked for the driver’s identification and registration. The driver’s hands shook as he presented slightly crumpled paperwork, which had creases and signs of wear inconsistent with official documents. Daniels inspected the documents closely, noting minor but telling inaccuracies. These discrepancies raised even more red flags, putting Daniels on high alert.
As he secured the dubious paperwork, Daniels couldn’t shake off an odd sensation—an instinct that the coffin and the hearse held more than what met the eye. Walking back to his patrol car, he checked the hearse’s registration in their system, hoping to clarify the situation. Soon after, backup arrived, and Daniels briefed the team on the driver’s behavior, the inconsistencies in his story, and the suspicious paperwork.
The officers spread out, taking positions to secure the area. Officer Ramirez, who had experience with forgery cases, confirmed Daniels’ suspicions that the documents were indeed fake. The team decided to proceed carefully but decisively. Ramirez gave Daniels a nod, signaling that the driver’s story lacked credibility. They then began a systematic search of the hearse, first inspecting the exterior and then moving inside.
Daniels ordered the driver to open the coffin. With shaking hands, the driver complied, his nervousness intensifying with every passing second. Daniels noticed beads of sweat forming on the driver’s brow, feeling that something significant was about to be revealed. He sent the driver to sit in the patrol car to prevent any interference as they prepared to open the coffin.
Before they could lift the lid, a distress call came over the radio, reporting a nearby jewelry store robbery. Suspects were believed to be fleeing in their direction. Daniels decided to station Officer Thompson with the hearse and driver while he and Ramirez headed to the store. Daniels knew he had to balance the need for immediate action with the unresolved mystery of the hearse. Officer Thompson, meanwhile, kept a close eye on both the coffin and the driver, determined to remain vigilant.
At the crime scene, Daniels and Ramirez found the store in disarray, with glass shattered and goods strewn across the floor. The owners described the robbers, whose descriptions matched known criminals in the area. Daniels realized that the likely escape route would bring the robbers back toward the secluded road where the hearse was parked, and he and Ramirez hurried back, anticipating an encounter. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
As they returned, Daniels spotted Thompson still keeping a watchful eye on the hearse. Thompson reported that a strong chemical odor had started emanating from the hearse, growing more intense over time. This heightened Daniels’ suspicion even further. He decided it was time for a thorough investigation.
Officer Ramirez suggested calling in a K9 unit to sniff out potential drugs or explosives, and Daniels agreed. By this point, a small crowd had gathered, drawn by the unusual police activity. Daniels instructed his officers to keep the onlookers at a safe distance.
When the K9 unit arrived, the trained dog quickly alerted to something inside the coffin, barking and scratching at the surface. This undeniable signal confirmed that the team was dealing with something far from ordinary. Daniels ordered everyone to prepare for a detailed inspection. The area was cleared, and the officers created a perimeter as they opened the coffin.
Inside, they found a sealed compartment, expertly constructed to evade detection. The sophisticated design suggested an experienced criminal operation. Instead of a body, the compartment was filled with dozens of vials and bottles, all neatly labeled with chemical names. The strong smell left no doubt—they had uncovered a stash of highly controlled substances. Daniels and his team knew they were dealing with something big.
The discovery prompted meticulous documentation. Each officer took photos and wrote down the labels on every vial, recognizing that this evidence would be crucial in building a case. Just as they finished the initial evidence collection, Ramirez returned with widened eyes, taking in the scale of the operation they had uncovered.
As Daniels and his team prepared to transport both the driver and the evidence to the station, Detective Ross called in. He had been working on a major smuggling case in the area and explained that suspects had been using funeral vehicles, particularly hearses, to smuggle illegal goods. This revelation tied together all the clues: the modifications to the hearse, the K9 alert, the forged documents, and the driver’s evasive behavior.
The driver, now fully aware that his cover was blown, mentioned a “boss” who needed the cargo delivered by tonight. Daniels realized they were on the verge of a major breakthrough in a much larger criminal network. As the hearse was towed away, Daniels felt both a sense of accomplishment and a strong resolve. He knew this was only the beginning; there would be more arrests, more seizures, and more pieces to uncover in what was shaping up to be an international s
Gen. Diya was crossed examined at the Human Rights Violation Commission (HRVIC) on the coup plan 1997 to overthrow Gen. Sanni Abacha, He bluntly denied the fact that he was part of the plan but he admitted he knew about the plan. He further explained that he was afraid of being killed by the Coup Master Planner if he revealed the plan.
Gen. Diya Oladipo then was appointed as Chief of Defense Staff. He was appointed Chief of General Staff in 1993 and Vice Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council in 1994. In 1997 Diya and dissident soldiers in the military allegedly planned to overthrow the regime of Sani Abacha. The alleged coup was uncovered by forces loyal to Abacha, and Diya and his cohorts were jailed. Diya was tried in a military tribunal, and was given the death penalty. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Nigeria has seen the rise and fall of many military regimes since she became a sovereign state in 1960 and this, at every turn, has altered the direction of the country.
A second coup since independence which happened on July 29, 1966, would see to the brutal death of Nigeria’s Supreme Commander, General J.T.C Aguiyi-Ironsi (the nation’s 1st military head of state) and his friend, Lieutenant Colonel Francis Adekunle Fajuyi, who was the sitting and 1st Military Governor of the Western Region…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
Aguiyi-Ironsi was a guest at the Government House, Ibadan, as he came to hold a meeting with traditional rulers in the Western region. Ironsi arrived Ibadan the previous day and unknowingly, he met his death during the counter-coup which is generally believed to be a retaliation to the January 15th 1966 coup in which prominent Northerners in power were killed.
The Northerners were believed to hold a grudge since the first coup as they lost leaders including Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (Nigerian Prime Minister) and Sir Ahmadu Bello (Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern Region). They tagged it an ‘Igbo Coup’ as no Eastern casualty was recorded in both the military and public service as even the West lost Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola in the coup. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
This counter-coup of July 29, 1966, led by General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma was tagged the bloodiest coup by many in the history of Nigeria. Ironsi and Fajuyi’s death which still remains a controversial debate among historians because how they were killed isn’t clear but both bodies were found in a bush in outskirts of Ibadan. Read a comprehensive account of how Aguiyi-Ironsi was killed here.
Aside from the Head of State and Western Military governor, many other casualties were recorded in the army and most killed or maimed were Easterners, particularly Igbos. This will be one of the many reasons the country would go into a civil war the following year as the Eastern region tried seceding.
54 years after, we remember this gruesome act done in the Brown Roof City and how much has happened or changed since then.
General Sani Abacha is perhaps Nigeria’s most enigmatic head of state. He reigned from 1993 until his death in 1998. General Abacha was born in Kano state, northern Nigeria on September 20, 1943. He hails from Kanuri in Borno state.
He passed out of the Nigerian Military Training Centre in Kaduna where he proceeded to Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, England before being commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in 1963.
He is held by some as Nigeria’s most successful coup plotter. 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 the previous January as well…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
Abacha fought for Nigeria in the country’s civil war against Biafran secessionists continuing to rise through the army ranks.
He was instrumental in the 1983 Nigerian coup d’état which brought General Muhammadu Buhari to power as well as the August 1985 coup which removed him from power. He announced the coup which removed the government of Shehu Shagari.
When General Ibrahim Babangida was named President of Nigeria in 1985, Abacha was named Chief of Army Staff. He was appointed Minister of Defence in 1990. With Babangida’s resignation, an interim government headed by civilian President, Ernest Shonekan was formed.
Sani Abacha became the first Nigerian soldier to attain the rank of a full General without skipping a single rank in 1993. In the same year, he moved for the ultimate.
Shonekan resigned and transferred power to Sani Abacha in a move widely believed to be another bloodless coup. 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 the right to detain anyone for up to three months without trial.
Abacha is noted for helping restore peace and democracy to Sierra Leone and Liberia after the civil wars.
On his administration of the Nigerian state proper, he established The Petroleum Trust Fund aimed to address major economic issues facing the country at the time. Between 25-100km of urban road in major cities such as Kano, Gusau, Benin, Funtua, Zaria, Enugu, Kaduna, Aba, Lagos, Lokoja, and Port Harcourt was planned to be constructed each. A N27.3bn contract was awarded for road rehabilitation in the first quarter of 1996.
There was a restructuring of major insurance companies that supported SMEs across the entire country.
Abacha mandated the PTF to publicise its accounts as it was the second-largest public corporation at the time. In 1997, the account of PTF showed that it disbursed N24.3bn on roads, N21.2bn on security, N7.8bn on health, and N3bn on other projects. Other disbursements include N2.2bn on water supply, N936m on food supply and N476m on education. It realized a total of N1.049bn from various investment activities.
It’s curious the sums which emerged after his death that he stashed in overseas accounts as the Abacha administration became the first to record unprecedented economic achievements overseeing an increase in the country’s foreign exchange reserves from $494 million in 1993 to $9.6 billion by the middle of 1997. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
He also reduced the external debt of Nigeria from $36 billion in 1993 to $27 billion by 1997. His Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund is also hailed for infrastructural projects and interventionist programmes in education, water and health.
His wife is credited with setting up the National Hospital in Abuja viewed as Nigeria’s foremost national hospital, which was initially set up as a hospital for women and children before its upgrade.
Nonetheless, Abacha was ruthless with groups he considered hostile to his administration between 1993 and 1998. There was a crackdown on the civil rights groups, media and pro-democracy groups.
It was also under him that Nigeria became a perpetual importer of petroleum products as the refineries packed up. The emergence of the ‘foul fuel’ which damaged car engines and released a repugnant smell was in his time.
General Sani Abacha earned the title ‘Thug of the Year’ from Time magazine in 1995 after the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa. Abacha developed the habit of working only at night. Availing himself to be seen publicly rarely while being averse to granting interviews.
The events of his death on June 8, 1998, at the presidential villa in Abuja are murky and while the official account is that he suffered a heart attack, other accounts say he was in the company of two Indian sex workers flown in from Dubai when he died. He was buried on the same day, according to Muslim tradition, without an autopsy. This fueled speculation that he may have been murdered by political rivals via poison.
Foreign diplomats, including United States Intelligence analysts, believed that his drink or fruit (apple) was laced with a poisonous substance while in the company of prostitutes.
Abacha was married to Maryam Abacha with whom he had had seven sons and three daughters.
In March 2014, the United States Department of Justice revealed that it had frozen more than $458 million believed to have been illegally obtained by Abacha and other corrupt officials.
On 7 August 2014, the United States Department of Justice announced the largest forfeiture in its history: the return of $480 million to the Nigerian government.
Stashed sums in other accounts have been discovered with the Nigerian government working to have the funds returned.
