military administrators during Sani Abacha regime Dominic Oneya was one of them

Military Administrators in Nigeria During Abacha Regime (1993-1998)

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The military regime of General Sani Abacha was the most controversial in Nigeria’s political history. One of the reasons was that he threw the winner of the June 12 1993 presidential election Chief Moshood Abiola into prison.

Though his regime didn’t conduct the election, he arrested Abiola and threw him into prison for attempting to claim the mandate given to him by millions of Nigerians who cast their votes for him.

Ibrahim Babangida who conducted the election failed to handover, instead, he introduced an Interim National Government headed by Earnest Shonekan on August 26, 1993.

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By November 17, 1993, the Chief of Defence Staff at the time Abacha chased the head of the ING out of Aso Rock in a bloodless coup.

It was later alleged that it was a plan and an agreement between Sani Abacha and Babangida.

Abacha’s first action was to terminate all the civilian state governors between 1992 to 1993, thereby ending the third republic. It’s today referred to as the aborted republic.

He replaced the elected civilian governors with military administrators. And by October 1, 1996, the regime created six additional states, bringing the number of states to 36.

Below is a list of military administrators during Abacha’s regime between 1993 to 1998

StateMilitary AdministratorsYears in Office
AbiaChinyere Ike Nwosu
Temi Ejoor
Moses Fasanya
December 9, 1993 to September 14, 1994
September 14, 1994 to August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 to August 1998
AdamawaGregory Agboneni
Mustapha Ismail
Joe Kalu-Igboama
December 9, 1993 to September 14, 1994
August 22, 1996 to August 1998
Akwa IbomYakubu Bako
Joseph Adeduro Adeusi
December 15, 1993 to August 21, 1996
August 21, 1996 to August 9, 1998
AnambraDabo Aliyu
Mike Attah
Rufai Garba
November 1993 to December 1993
December 9, 1993 to 21 August 21, 1996
August 21, 1996 – August 6, 1998
BauchiJames Yana Kalau
Rasheed Adisa Raji
Theophilus Bamigboye
December 9, 1993 – September 14, 1994
September 14, 1994 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
BenueJoshua Obademi
Aminu Isa Kontagora
December 9, 1993 – August 14, 1996
August 14, 1996 – August 1998
BornoIbrahim Dada
Victor Ozodinobi
Augustine Aniebo
December 9, 1993 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – 1997
1997 – August 1998
Cross RiverIbrahim Kefas
Gregory Agboneni
Umar Farouk Ahmed
December 9, 1993 – September 14, 1994
September 14, 1994 – August 22, 1996
August 1996 – August 1998
DeltaAbdulkadir Shehu
Bassey Asuquo
Ibrahim Kefas
John David Dungs
November 17, 1993 – December 10, 1993
December 10, 1993 – September 26, 1994
September 26, 1994 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 12, 1998
EdoMohammed Abul-Salam Onuka
Bassey Asuquo
Baba Adamu Iyam
December 9, 1993 – September 14, 1994
September 14, 1994 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 7, 1998
EnuguTemi Ejoor
Mike Torey
Sule Ahman
December 9, 1993 – September 14, 1994
September 14, 1994 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
ImoJames N.J. Aneke
Tanko Zubairu
December 9, 1993 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – May 29, 1999
JigawaIbrahim Aliyu
Rasheed Shekoni
December 9, 1993 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
KadunaLawal Jafaru Isa
Hameed Ali
December 9, 1993 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
KanoMuhammadu Abdullahi Wase
Dominic Oneya
December 1993 – June 1996
August 22 1996 – September 1998
KatsinaEmmanuel Acholonu
Samaila Bature Chamah
December 9, 1993 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
KebbiSalihu Tunde Bello
John Ubah
December 9, 1993 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
KogiPaul Omeruo
Bzigu Afakirya
December 9, 1993 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
KwaraMustapha Ismail
Baba Adamu Iyam
Peter Ogar
December 9, 1993 – September 14, 1994
September 14, 1994 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
LagosOlagunsoye Oyinlola
Mohammed Buba Marwa
December 1993 – August 1996
1996–1999
NigerCletus Komena Emein
Simeon Oduoye
9 Dec 1993 – 22 Aug 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
OgunDaniel Akintonde
Sam Ewang
December 9 1993 – August 22, 1996
August 1996 – August 1998
OndoMike Torey
Ahmed Usman
Anthony Onyearugbulem
December 1993 – September 1994
September 1994 – August 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 7, 1998
OsunAnthony Udofia
Anthony Obi
December 9, 1993 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
OyoAdetoye Oyetola Sode
Chinyere Ike Nwosu
Ahmed Usman
December 9, 1993 – September 14, 1994
September 14, 1994 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
PlateauMohammed Mana
Habibu Idris Shuaibu
December 9, 1993 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
RiversDauda Musa Komo
Musa Shehu
December 9, 1993 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
SokotoYakubu Mu’azu
Rasheed Adisa Raji
December 9, 1993 – August 22, 1996
TarabaYohanna Dickson
Amen Edore Oyakhire
December 9, 1993 – August 22, 1996
August 22, 1996 – August 1998
YobeDabo Aliyu
John Ben Kalio
December 14, 1993 – August 14, 1996
August 14, 1996 – August 14, 1998

October 1, 1996 State Creation By Sani Abacaha

On October 1, 1996, the military regime of Sani Abacha announced the creation of six more states from the existing ones, bringing the number to 36. The creation of the states coincides with Nigeria’s 36th Independence Day Celebration.

On the occasion, Gen. Abacha announced the six states and their military administrators. The new states and their administrators are listed below:

New StatesMilitary AdministratorsYears in Office
BayelsaPhillip Ayeni
Habu Daura
Omoniyi Caleb Olubolade
October 1, 1996 – February 28, 1997
February 28, 1997 – June 27, 1997
June 27, 1997 – July 9, 1998
EbonyiWalter FeghaboOctober 7, 1996 – August 1998
EkitiMohammed BawaOctober 7, 1996 – August 1998
GombeJoseph OrjiOctober 7, 1996 – August 1998
NasarawaAbdullahi IbrahimOctober 7, 1996 – August 6, 1998
ZamfaraJibril YakubuOctober 7, 1996 – May 1999

Note: The military administrators during Sani Abacha’s regime were also tough as the Head of State. It was a time when motorists had to park by the roadside upon hearing the siren of ‘Abacha boys’ coming behind or approaching.

Abacha died on June 8, 1998. Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar succeeded him on June 9, 1998, and he appointed or redeployed the state administrators (1998-1999).

To date, the cause of death Abacha remains shrouded and kept in secrecy by military authorities. They say he died of unnatural death.

Abacha’s regime like every military regime in Nigeria represents an outright violation of abuse of human rights. During his regime, there were arrests and killings of opponents. There were bomb blasts.

In 1996, there were at least eight bomb blasts at strategic locations across Nigeria.

Under his nose, the senior wife to the MKO Abiola, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, was murdered on June 4, 1996, by Abacha boys who authorities referred to as unknown assassins in Lagos.

What are important things do you need to know about the regime of Abacha?

How many states did Sani Abacha create?

The regime of Abacha created six states, they are: Ekiti, Nasarawa, Gombe, Ebonyi, Bayelsa, and Zamfara

Who was the first military administrator of Osun State?

Col. Leo Segun Ajiborisha was the first military administrator of Osun State on August 27, 1991, after the state was carved out of the old Oyo State.

Who was the first military administrator of Ekiti State?

Colonel Mohammed Inua Bawa was the first military administrator of Ekiti State. He was appointed by Sani Abacha. Ekiti was carved out of the old Ondo State.

Why did Sani Abacha arrest M.K.O Abiola?

Sani Abacha arrested M.K.O. Abiola because he (Abiola) declared himself the elected president of Nigeria and vowed to claim his mandate.

What killed Sani Abacha?

The cause of his death is unknown. He is believed to have been poisoned. Irishtimes.com quoted a diplomat as saying that disgruntled soldiers in the Army poisoned him.

“I know for a fact he was poisoned. My sources in the army have confirmed this. A small group of officers thought the only solution was to poison him and this is what they did.”

Sources:

  1. Featured image by Tribune Online
  2. Enemaku Idachaba. “Chronology of Major Political Events in the Abacha Era (1993-1998)”. Openedition.org. Retrieved March 17, 2022
  3. Falode Adewumi (November 2018). “The Military and Political Development in Nigeria: The General Sani Abacha Regime, 1993-1998”. Researchgate.net. Retrieved March 19, 2022

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