Nigerian comedian Ali Baba, whose real name is Atunyota Alleluya Akpobome, has revealed a terrifying story of a close contact with General Sani Abacha, the country’s former military chief.

Ali Baba disclosed the tense encounter during an interview on the Leadership Podcast, calling it a “near-death experience.”

During Abacha’s rule, the 59-year-old comic remembers a specific event he was asked to present in Abuja.

Ali Baba was in charge of introducing the Akwa Ibom cultural group that was supposed to perform at the moment.

“My first near-death experience was with Sani Abacha,” the comic said. Ernest Shonekan had been fired during Abacha’s presidency, so I went to an event in Abuja where the Akwa Ibom cultural group was scheduled to play. Abacha was sporting one of those foldable black Ray-Ban sunglasses at the moment.

Ali Baba asked Abacha to take off his sunglasses in an audacious and surprising act.

When they began to dance, I halted them and turned to confront Abacha, asking, “Your Excellency, sir, why are you wearing dark shades? It’s almost ten. Do you not want to see them perform? Take away this shade, no,” he murmured.

Abacha obliged, much to his surprise, but when Ali Baba saw members of the State Security Service (SSS), also called the Department of State Services (DSS), relocating backstage, the tension in the room increased.

After taking off his glasses, Abacha began speaking with his assistant. Ali Baba recalled his mounting worry, saying, “As soon as they started, I saw the DSS officers going backstage to wait for God knows who.”

Ali Baba said that he was afraid and decided to sit next to the dictator instead of running for cover in the backstage area.

I walked over to Abacha’s side of the stage and took a seat on the floor beside him. He asked me why I wouldn’t go backstage and made jokes about me.

The ridiculous stress of the situation was captured when he continued, “Don’t worry, sir, they can come and arrest me here.”

After a coup overthrew temporary President Ernest Shonekan in 1993, Sani Abacha governed Nigeria with an iron grip until his death in 1998.

Many opposition leaders were assassinated, tortured, or imprisoned under his rule, and his dictatorship was notorious for violating human rights.