Ali Baba Recalls Chilling Encounter with General Sani Abacha: ‘A Near-Death Experience

Nigerian comedian Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, widely known as Ali Baba, recently recounted a harrowing encounter with former military leader General Sani Abacha, which he described as a “near-death experience.”

During an appearance on the Leadership Podcast, the 59-year-old comedian shared a tense moment from an event he hosted in Abuja during Abacha’s regime.

At that time, Abacha had just removed interim President Ernest Shonekan from power.

Ali Baba was tasked with introducing an Akwa Ibom cultural group for a performance when he made a bold move by directly addressing Abacha, who was wearing dark sunglasses. “The first close encounter I had with death was with Sani Abacha,” he recalled. “I told him, ‘Your Excellency, sir, it’s almost 10; why are you wearing dark shades? Don’t you want to see their performance? Remove this shade nah.’”

To his astonishment, Abacha obliged, but the atmosphere grew tense as Ali Baba noticed operatives from the State Security Service (SSS), also known as the Department of State Services (DSS), moving backstage.

“He removed the glasses and started talking to his aide, and that’s when I saw the DSS officers heading backstage, waiting for who knows what,” Ali Baba explained, expressing the mounting anxiety he felt in that moment.

Despite the fear, Ali Baba chose to sit beside the formidable president rather than retreating to safety backstage. “I went down the stage to where Abacha was and sat on the ground next to him.

He joked about me and asked why I wouldn’t go backstage. I replied, ‘Don’t worry, sir, they can come and arrest me here,’” he said, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.

Sani Abacha ruled Nigeria with an iron fist from 1993 until his death in 1998. His regime was notorious for human rights violations, with many opposition figures imprisoned, tortured, or killed during his leadership.