How Sani Abacha Rescued Babangida and Paved His Own Road to Power
In April 1990, Nigeria witnessed one of its most audacious coup attempts—the Gideon Orkar coup. The insurgents stormed Dodan Barracks, intent on toppling the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida. Amid the chaos and gunfire, Babangida narrowly escaped with his life. But who came to his aid? None other than General Sani Abacha.
Abacha led a fierce counteroffensive, swiftly crushing the coup and restoring Babangida’s authority. This act of unwavering loyalty cemented a formidable alliance between the two military strongmen. As a reward, Babangida elevated Abacha to the rank of full four-star general—an extraordinary promotion at the time.
However, the saga didn’t end there. A few years later, Babangida repaid the favor on an even grander scale. By annulling the historic June 12 election, he set the stage for Abacha’s rise to power. Eventually, Abacha orchestrated the 1993 coup that ousted the Interim National Government of Ernest Shonekan, installing himself as Nigeria’s Head of State.
This marked a turning point in Nigerian history—Abacha became the first active-duty officer to attain the rank of full General under a sitting Head of State, securing his grip on absolute power.
Source: HistoryLovers
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