A former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Dennis Amachree, has challenged the former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (retd.), to produce CCTV footage or other evidence to disprove the account of the military ruler’s final hours contained in his memoir.
Amachree, the author of DSS@40, said Al-Mustapha should respond to the claims with verifiable facts rather than dismissing the publication as false.
Speaking during a telephone interview, the former DSS official maintained that his book underwent official scrutiny by the security agency before it was released.
Amachree said the memoir received institutional approval as part of activities marking the 40th anniversary of the DSS.
According to him, the agency invited him from the United States to attend the book launch, which was witnessed by senior security officials, state directors of the service and members of the diplomatic community.
He argued that the official vetting and support given to the publication strengthened the credibility of the account contained in the book.
According to The Nation, Amachree dismissed Al-Mustapha’s criticism of the memoir, insisting that the former army officer should present evidence showing that the narrative was inaccurate.
The former DSS assistant director also rejected Al-Mustapha’s description of him as “a boy,” saying his age and professional record did not support the remark.
“I was seven years old when Nigeria gained independence,” Amachree said.
He also compared their ranks at retirement, arguing that he left the DSS at a higher equivalent position.
“I retired as an Assistant Director, which in army terms is equivalent to a Brigadier, while Al-Mustapha retired as a Major,” he added.
