Nigerian comedian Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, popularly known as Ali Baba, has recounted a dramatic encounter with former military leader Sani Abacha which he describes as a “near-death experience”.
The 59-year-old comedian reflected on this incident during an appearance on the Leadership Podcast, recalling the tense atmosphere that surrounded a particular performance during the Abacha regime.
Ali Baba stated that at one point he was tasked with introducing an Akwa Ibom cultural group, which was due to perform at an event in Abuja.
The comedian recounted: “The first close encounter I had with death was with Sani Abacha. When Abacha was president; Ernest Shonekan had been removed so I went to do an event in Abuja and it was time for the Akwa Ibom cultural group to perform. At that moment, Abacha was wearing one of those dark Rayban sunglasses that can be folded.”
In a bold move, Ali Baba addressed Abacha directly and asked him to remove his sunglasses.
“Then they started dancing, I stopped them and faced Abacha, saying: 'Your Excellency sir, it's almost 10 o'clock; Why are you wearing dark glasses? Don't you want to see his performance? Take this shadow away, no,'” he said.
To his surprise, Mr. Abacha agreed. However, tension increased when Ali Baba noticed some agents of the State Security Service, SSS (also known as Department of State Services, DSS) heading backstage. “He (Abacha) then took off his glasses and was talking to his assistant. As soon as they started, I saw the DSS officers go backstage to wait for God knows who,” he said, revealing his growing anxiety over the situation.
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In a moment of fear, Ali Baba declared that he had decided to sit next to the iron-fisted president rather than retreat to safety behind the scenes. “I went down from the stage to where Abacha was and sat on the floor next to him. He made jokes about me and asked me why I refused to go backstage. I told him: 'Don't worry sir, they can come here and arrest me,'” he concluded, illustrating the absurdity and tension of the moment.
Sani Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998, was known for his brutal regime marked by political repression and human rights violations. He came to power through a coup d'état that ousted interim president Ernest Shonekan. During his leadership, political violence increased and many opposition figures were imprisoned, tortured or murdered.
Former Nigerian military leader, General Sani Abacha
Abacha's government was infamously responsible for the 1995 execution of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa, sparking international outrage and Nigeria's suspension from the Commonwealth. His tenure is also marred by allegations of corruption, with estimates suggesting he embezzled between $2 billion and $5 billion, much of which remains unrecovered.
Mr. Abacha died on June 8, 1998 at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja and was buried on the same day.
Ali Baba, who also acts as an actor and master of ceremonies, comes from a royal family in Warri. After graduating from Bendel State University, he moved to Lagos in 1990 to pursue a career in comedy, quickly gaining fame through performances at corporate events and media appearances.
The comedian's work has earned him several awards, including the National Comedy Award, and he made history in 2012 as the first Nigerian comedian to ring the year-end bell on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Ali Baba has also appeared in popular films such as 'The Wedding Party' and has appeared on CNN's African Voices. Ali Baba is married to Mary Akpobome and they have five children, three daughters and two sons, in addition to the recent addition of triplets recently born in April.
