Sani Abacha Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Military career== Abacha was involved in all the [[military coups in Nigeria]] during his military career. In 1966, when he was still a second [[lieutenant]] with the 3rd Battalion in [[Kaduna]], he took part in the [[1966 Nigerian counter-coup|July 1966 Nigerian counter-coup]] from the conceptual stage.<ref name=Siollun>{{cite book|last=Siollun|first=Max|title=Oil, Politics and Violence: Nigeria's Military Coup Culture (1966–1976)|year=2009|publisher=Algora|isbn=9780875867090|page=97}}</ref> He could well have been a participant in the [[Lagos]] or [[Abeokuta]] phases of the [[1966 Nigerian coup d'état|coup the previous January]] as well.<ref>{{cite book|last=Siollun|first=Max|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S1s9EqmAN1IC&pg=PA132 |title=Oil, Politics and Violence: Nigeria's Military Coup Culture (1966–1976)|date=2009|publisher=Algora Publishing|isbn=978-0-87586-709-0}}</ref> In 1969, he fought during the [[Nigerian Civil War]] as a platoon and battalion commander. He later became commander of the 2nd Infantry Division in 1975.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Akyeampong|first1=Emmanuel Kwaku|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=39JMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA1 |title=Dictionary of African Biography|last2=Gates|first2=Henry Louis|date=2 February 2012|publisher=OUP USA|isbn=978-0-19-538207-5}}</ref> In 1983, Abacha was general officer commanding of the 2nd Mechanised Division, and was appointed a member of the [[Supreme Military Council of Nigeria (1983–1985)|Supreme Military Council]].<ref>{{citation|last=Balogun|first=M.J.|title=Leadership as an Imposition: the Military Shortcut to Power|date=2009|work=The Route to Power in Nigeria: A Dynamic Engagement Option for Current and Aspiring Leaders|pages=163–193|editor-last=Balogun|editor-first=M.J.|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan US|doi=10.1057/9780230100848_9|isbn=978-0-230-10084-8}}</ref> In 1983, Abacha played a prominent role in the [[1983 Nigerian coup d'état]] which brought General [[Muhammadu Buhari]] to power; and the [[1985 Nigerian coup d'état]] which removed Buhari and brought General Ibrahim Babangida to power.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.waado.org/nigerdelta/nigeria_facts/militaryrule/omoigui/PalaceCoup-1985.htm|title=Nigeria: Palace Coup of 1985 By Dr. Nowa Omoigui|website=www.waado.org|access-date=2019-03-31}}</ref> When General [[Ibrahim Babangida]] was named [[President of Nigeria|President]] and [[Commander in chief|Commander-in-Chief]] of the [[Nigerian Armed Forces|Armed Forces]] of the [[Nigeria|Federal Republic of Nigeria]] in 1985, Abacha was named [[Chief of Army Staff (Nigeria)|Chief of Army Staff]]. He was later appointed Minister of Defence in 1990.<ref>Oyewole, A. (1987) ''Historical Dictionary of Nigeria'', Scarecrow Press. p. 385. {{ISBN|0-8108-1787-X}}.</ref><ref name="eb222">{{cite web|url=http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9389478|title=Encyclopedia – Britannica Online Encyclopedia|work=eb.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Siollun|first=Max|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DB6sDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA21 |title=Nigeria's Soldiers of Fortune: The Abacha and Obasanjo Years|date=2019-08-29|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-1-78738-202-2}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page