The army is 60,000 strong but without sufficient military tasks. The admirals control two frigates that never sail and the vice-marshall planes which cannot leave the ground.
This turn to the armed forces for political support is therefore a mark of Abacha's desperation.
With the international creditors closing in and social breakdown at home the IMF and World Bank look like vetoing the $30bn debt rescheduling.
Friendless at home and friendless abroad, Abacha's grip on power is becoming more tenuous by the week.
rich nation.
This sale co-incided with a massive increase in British aid to Nigeria -Despite the fact that it increased from £6.3m Nigeria has endured in 1988-89 to £67.7m in 1989-90 - leading to al24 of its 34 post-inde- legations that the aid pendence years under was linked with arms military government, sales. the UK has consis- In June 1993 a Presitently armed its mili- dential election was fairly won by multi-miltary dictators in a bid lionaire populist Chief to strengthen its politi- Moshood Abiola. cal position in the oil Babangida promptly annulled the election reIn 1985 42 Alvis Scor- sult and appointed his pion Tanks were sup- own interim governplied to the Buhari ment. In the ensuing regime, despite an ap- chaos, yet another milipalling human rights re- tary regime, headed by General Sani Abacha, In the same year, the came to power through sale of British Jaguar a coup in November fighter aircraft was in- 1993. strumental in precipitat- Britain continued to ing a coup by the deliver the Vickers military dictator, Gen- tanks, after the annuleral Ibrahim Babangida, ment of the democratic after a scandal over election, and after the commission payments. military strongman After Babangida took Abacha had seized power Britain continued its supply of military Abacha's regime has equipment, culminating attempted to crush proin the huge Vickers deal democracy opposition for 150 tanks in 1990. by replacing union leaders, taking control of the courts and banning newspapers. Hundreds of civilians have been killed by security forces in the unrest. Amnesty International has strongly condemned atrocities carried out by security forces against the people of Oginiland.
Despite these moves, over 30 military contracts have been signed between Nigeria and British companies since January 1994.
Pressed on the nature of these contracts the Foreign Office claim that they are "non-lethal", a term commonly known to be meaningless in arms trade circles.
Given the fact that many of Nigeria's arms purchases have been funded by secret military slush funds in the control of the Nigerian generals the arms to Nigeria affair is a ticking bomb in the basement of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.