Autopsy Suggests Bad Heart Killed Nigerian

Preliminary findings of a team of international pathologists indicated Saturday that Moshood Abiola, Nigeria’s most prominent political prisoner, died of a heart attack.

The results of the independent autopsy were released after the burial of the popular businessman-turned-politician in a garden ceremony at his Lagos home.

Dr. James Young, one of several forensic scientists flown here to conduct the examination, said: “In our opinion, the mechanism of death is due to a rapid deterioration in a diseased heart.

“At this time, our preliminary opinion is that death was due to natural causes as a result of his long-standing heart disease,” added Young, the chief coroner of the Canadian province of Ontario.

Many Nigerians were hopeful Saturday that the medical findings will help defuse tensions and quell widespread suspicions that Abiola was murdered by the country’s military regime.

The politician, who had spent four years in prison for claiming the presidency on the basis of an annulled 1993 election, died Tuesday after meeting with a group of U.S. officials.

His death came the same week that he was expected to be released and a month after the demise of dictator Gen. Sani Abacha, who was responsible for his incarceration.

Abacha, who also died of a reported heart attack, was replaced by Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar.

Despite the credibility of the international pathologists and their early conclusion that “poisoning is extremely unlikely,” Nigerians still believe that the country’s military regime was at least partially responsible for Abiola’s death.

“There is no doubt that my father would have been here today if he was in our care,” Dr. Wura Abiola, one of Abiola’s several daughters, said in an interview at the family’s Lagos home Saturday. “His condition would have taken a longer time to form.”

She said her father would have been on a strict diet and would have had access to better medical attention.

“The military [is] responsible. Yes, they deprived me of my father. Yes, they deprived Nigerians of a leader. That’s terrible,” she said.

A full autopsy report will probably be issued after additional forensic tests on body tissue samples are undertaken in Britain and Canada, Abiola’s personal physician, Ore Falomo, told reporters.

Rioting erupted in Lagos and other Abiola strongholds in southern Nigeria after the announcement of his death. At least 60 people have been reported killed and hundreds arrested.

On Saturday, the mood was tense but somber as more than 20,000 people--some crying, others praying--crowded the streets in front of Abiola’s home to bid farewell to the man they wanted to rule Africa’s most populous nation.

“We recognized this fellow as presidential material,” said Lagos businessman Jerry Egerue, 30, who had gone to the Abiola family home Saturday to pay his respects. “He was a strong campaigner for democracy. He had a strong vision, and he had the masses behind him.”

Abiola was immensely popular among members of his native Yoruba clan, which primarily makes up the current pro-democracy movement. He posed a serious threat to the ruling military and the country’s upper echelons--mainly Muslims from the Hausa ethnic group.

With the deaths of both Abiola and Abacha, who together were among the root causes of Nigeria’s political troubles during the last four years, some Nigerians are optimistic that the West African nation can again begin to flourish.

A new scheme to restore civilian rule is eagerly awaited from Abubakar, who since taking office has offered several goodwill gestures aimed at reconciliation. These have included releasing dozens of political prisoners and commuting the death sentence of a former top official accused of plotting to overthrow Abacha’s regime.

Reports after Abiola’s death even suggested that Abubakar’s government might host a state funeral for the late politician.

Some Abiola family members scoffed at that idea.

“There is no reason why we would have expected him to be accorded a state funeral,” Wura Abiola said. “The state treated him very badly. We thought that it was important that the people of Nigeria bury him, because they were the constituency he represented.”

Many Nigerians are adamant that the new military regime can do little to win public confidence short of handing over power to civilians and promoting democracy.

“There’s no alternative to democracy,” Egerue said. “A bad democratic government is better than the best military government.”

“I pray someone nice will come to guide us,” said Cynthia Enadeghe, 24, a student. “At the rate we are going, I don’t think this country is going to be in better shape.”

Times wire services contributed to this report.