Veteran Nigerian comedian Ali Baba has revealed how a joke nearly ended his life during General Sani Abacha’s authoritarian rule in the 1990s.
Reflecting on the event in a recent appearance on the Leadership Podcast, Ali Baba recounted his tense encounter with the late military leader, notorious for his harsh crackdowns on dissent.
“The first close encounter I had with death is when General Sani Abacha was the President,” the comedian, now 59, shared.
He explained that the incident unfolded at an event he was hosting in Abuja, where the Akwa Ibom cultural group was set to perform.
Ali Baba recalled addressing Abacha directly. Even though it was late at night, he was still sporting his signature dark Ray-Ban sunglasses.
“I stopped the cultural group dance and faced Abacha, saying, ‘Your Excellency, sir, it’s almost 10 pm. Why are you wearing dark shades? Remove this shade, nah, or don’t you want to see their performance?’” he recounted.
In response, Abacha took off his glasses and whispered to an aide.
Within moments, Ali Baba noticed security officers gathering backstage. Realising the possible danger, he quickly sat next to Abacha to avoid being taken away.
Abacha, however, chose to lighten the mood, jesting with Ali Baba, who retorted, “Don’t worry, sir, let them arrest me here.” This exchange ended with Abacha offering a rare smile.
Abacha ruled Nigeria from 1993 until he died in 1998, a period marked by severe political repression, where critics of the regime faced imprisonment, torture, or death.
