International | Nigeria

The general’s new hat

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ENERAL SANI ABACHA sat on a dais, above chattering rows of ministers and acolytes, silent and inscrutable behind large sunglasses. “You know those dark glasses he wears are magnifiers. He just has to look at you and he can see you up close, he can see into your eyes,” said a young, British-educated, Nigerian official.

This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “The general’s new hat”

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