The fear in the corridors of power had changed texture. It was no longer the sharp fear of execution; it was the heavy, suffocating fear of uncertainty.
Diya’s alleged plan: use military police to seize Abuja, kill Abacha and his security chiefs, and install a new military council to accelerate transition. Whether genuine or staged (Abacha used coup accusations to eliminate rivals), the arrests sent shockwaves. Diya and his co-accused were tried secretly by a military tribunal. All were sentenced to death on April 28, 1998 — just 42 days before Abacha’s own death. Their sentences were never carried out because Abacha died first. last 100 days of abacha pdf 11