Nigerian Head Of State Is Dead

Nigeria's military head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha, is dead, sources in Abuja said Monday.

The sources said the body has been flown to Kano, his home town, to be buried according to Muslim rites.

Abacha, who would have been 55 years old in September, reportedly died of cardiac arrest.

He has ruled oil-rich Nigeria since 17 November, 1993, when he took over from the interim head of state, Ernest Shonekan.

Nigeria has been in crisis since 1993, when the military government of President Ibrahim Babangida annulled a presidential election presumed to have been won by Moshood Abiola.

Abacha has been widely remoured to be nursing an ambition to succeed himself at the end of the current political programme.

But the infantry general never confirmed or denied the speculation until his death.