THE EDGE OF THE ABYSS

Even by Nigeria's standards political events over the past few months have been extraordinary. With the death of the head of state, General Sani Abacha, from a heart attack in Tune, swiftly followed by the deat h of the imprisoned opposition leader Chief Moshood Abiola in similar circumstances, Nigeria has been plunged into a crisis as deer, as that which led to the outbreak of civil war in 1967.