Where is Abacha’s NSA Samaila Gwarzo?
Aliyu Isma’ila Gwarzo, a former National Security Adviser, has been silent since the demise of former military Head of State, General Sani Abacha on June 8, 1998. Gwarzo was always in the news during the reign of former heads of state, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, the late General Sani Abacha and former interim President Ernest Shonekan.
The retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) served under the three presidents in different capacities, before and after his retirement. He served under Babangida as police commissioner before he became AIG. After he retired, he was appointed the first Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) in June 1986.
He dominated the media in October same year after the brutal murder of the late Dele Giwa, an editor-in-chief of the defunct Newswatch magazine, on October 19, 1986.
The retired police spy was the director-general of the SSS when Giwa was murdered. He was accused of having hand in the murder of the late journalist, as two operatives of the service were accused of presenting the late Giwa with a parcel bomb that eventually led to his death.
In the 90s, the retired police AIG was appointed the National Security Adviser to the former interim President Shonekan and later to the late General Abacha respectively. A close friend to the late Abacha and Galadiman Kano, Alhaji Tijjani Hashim, the former intelligence officer took office as the NSA to Shonekan in August 1993. He retained the position till 1998 when Abacha died.
But shortly after the demise of Abacha, Gwarzo found himself in trouble with the government in respect of financial mismanagement to the tune of $2.45 billion. As a result of that, Abacha’s successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retired) placed Gwarzo on house arrest for three months before he was freed. But he was later arrested in connection with the missing funds.
After his release from detention, he returned to Gwarzo and was warmly received by his people, a family source told Daily Trust on Sunday. According to the source, this might not be unconnected with the generosity Gwarzo had shown to his people while in government.
“Gwarzo has a very good relationship with his people. He has never abandoned them. Despite the nature of his job, he made it a duty to spend at least three days in Gwarzo town every week. He would come on Thursday and leave on Sunday every week. This greatly help in building a good relationship between him and the people of Gwarzo.
“You know the locals always cherish and love whoever lives the way they live. If you endure to live with them I am sure they will love you. Gwarzo has done that, and that is why his people always love him,” he said.
Again, sometime in 1999, precisely after the return of democracy, former President Olusegun Obasanjo issued an informal injunction restricting Gwarzo to his hometown. He was detained under house arrest for 18 months with no charges against him.
Later, the Federal Government freed him, and since then he has not been arrested again. But despite lifting the house arrest on him, it was very rare to see Gwarzo in public events such as burial, wedding and naming ceremonies even though he lives in a local community.
Born and brought up in Gwarzo town, Gwarzo Local Government Area of Kano State, the former police spy attended Gwarzo Primary School and later Barewa College before he finally joined the Nigeria Police Force, an organisation he served in various capacities.
Sama’ila Gwarzo, as he was popularly known, worked in various states, including Lagos, Borno, Rivers and Kaduna as a police officer, rising through the ranks before his retirement.
Our correspondent gathered that after he retired, he relocated to Gwarzo and ventured into farming, and has spent most of his time in his residence, receiving visitors from within and outside the town.
He contributed immensely to the development of Gwarzo town and its people. He used his influence to secure jobs for many youths in the area into the police, immigration, army, customs and other public organisations, a source close to him told Daily Trust on Sunday.
According to the source, though the former AIG mingles with local politicians in Gwazo town, he has never interfered in Kano politics. And he has not sponsored any politician to contest for any seat, either locally, state or federal levels.
“Oga has never sponsored a politician to contest for any political office. In fact, he did not include politics in his agenda, not to talk of sponsoring others to contest for positions. To the best of my knowledge, even his children are not participating in politics, at least for now. I don’t know what will happen in the future,” the source said.
Gwarzo has two wives and 16 children. Despite his age, he is still energetic with sharp memory. He is currently battling with two sicknesses: diabetes and hypertension.