In a reflection on his journey, Comrade Salihu Dantata Mahmud has recounted how the late General Sani Abacha played a pivotal role in discovering his talent and shaping his career.
Mahmud, a journalist and former National Secretary of the defunct Action Party of Nigeria (APN), recalled his early admiration for Nigeria’s military leaders while he was a secondary school student between 1986 and 1992.
Among the figures he looked up to were General Sani Abacha, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Alfa, General Domkat Bali, and several other members of the Armed Forces Ruling Council.
However, it was General Abacha’s administration that had the most profound impact on him.
Mahmud started writing articles in 1993, which were frequently published in New Nigerian newspaper. His focus was on national development, and unbeknown to him, his work had attracted attention.
While working in Kaduna as a personal assistant to the late Major Lawal Bala Gusau, Mahmud encountered an intelligence officer associated with Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Abacha’s Chief Security Officer.
Their discussions on national unity and development led to a lasting connection.
By late 1993, as Abacha marked his first month in office, Mahmud shifted his focus to highlighting the achievements
