CHIEF Security Officer to the late General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza al-Mustapha, on Monday, before Justice Mojisola Dada of a Lagos High Court, claimed that he was being persecuted by General Abdulsalami Abubakar and others because of what he knew about the death of Sani Abacha and Chief M.K.O Abiola.
He told the court that he had both audio and video evidences on how the late head of state, General Abacha and the late Chief Abiola were murdered.
al-Mustapha, in his testimonies on Monday, opened his defence in his ongoing trial over the roles he allegedly played in the killing of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, by accusing former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, of being behind his travails.
According to him, he had documentary evidences to show that shortly after the death of Chief Abiola, the then head of state, General Abubakar, ordered that various sums of money be withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
He told the court that the sums of $200 million, £75 million and N500 million were withdrawn from the apex bank to appease South-West leaders, in order to douse the tension that arose after the death of Chief Abiola.
The former CSO said at a point in time, he was responsible for Chief Abiola’s safety while he was in detention and that he facilitated the visit of both of Reverend Jesse Jackson and America’s former Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter Carrington, to Chief Abiola.
He claimed further that he had video recordings of people who visited Abiola in his detention facility with intent to deceive him, saying that it was because of this that he was separated from Chief Abiola and was consequently persecuted.
Al-Mustapha, in his submissions, said he was very close to Chief Abiola and that he had known him since 1985.
He added that he had, at many times, “facilitated his going in and out” whenever the late business mogul had anything to do with the military.
“He [Abiola] was to be killed on the day Abacha was killed. I took him away to a barracks to conceal him from those who, according to them, wanted the balancing of the equation,” al-Mustapha said.
He disclosed further that he was made to face a lot of panels on allegations which ranged from coup planning to gun running and that he was given a clean bill of health by all of them.
He, however, said it was Abdulsalami that recommended in his handing over note to President Olusegun Obasanjo that he still had questions to answer with regards to some issues.
He further claimed that Barnabas Jabila, alias Sergeant Rogers, who initially testified against him was very close to Abdusalami, who recommended him to join the Strike Force in Aso Rock.
In his testimony, al-Mustapha said at a point, Sergeant Rogers made a statement during investigation that there was no order by him to have Kudirat Abiola killed.
The statement was admitted as evidence by the judge, despite objection by the lead prosecution counsel, Lawal Pedro.
al-Mustapha, who started weeping at a point during his testimony, informed the court of how government agents subjected him to both physical and psychological torture to compel him to confess to the murder of Kudirat Abiola.
“I was kept in a cell with bars to the entrance, broken floors and smelly water. There was no light. I was fed once in a day. Sometimes there was no food at all,” he further revealed.
al-Mustapha said he was kept in chains, adding that he was, at another time, left hanging upside down.
He added that his wife, children and father were also maltreated, just to force him to talk.
The matter was adjourned till tomorrow, to enable him to finish his testimony and for continuation of the trial.
It will be recalled that Justice Dada had, on the July 14, ordered Major al-Mustapha and Alhaji Lateef Sofolahan, the other accused, to open their defence in their trial for the murder of Alhaja Abiola.
Justice Dada, however, acquitted and discharged former head of Aso Rock Mobile Force, Mohammed Rabo-Lawal, who was the second defendant in the matter, over what she described as the inability of the prosecution to establish any prima-facie case against him.
He told the court that he had both audio and video evidences on how the late head of state, General Abacha and the late Chief Abiola were murdered.
al-Mustapha, in his testimonies on Monday, opened his defence in his ongoing trial over the roles he allegedly played in the killing of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, by accusing former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, of being behind his travails.
According to him, he had documentary evidences to show that shortly after the death of Chief Abiola, the then head of state, General Abubakar, ordered that various sums of money be withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
He told the court that the sums of $200 million, £75 million and N500 million were withdrawn from the apex bank to appease South-West leaders, in order to douse the tension that arose after the death of Chief Abiola.
The former CSO said at a point in time, he was responsible for Chief Abiola’s safety while he was in detention and that he facilitated the visit of both of Reverend Jesse Jackson and America’s former Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter Carrington, to Chief Abiola.
He claimed further that he had video recordings of people who visited Abiola in his detention facility with intent to deceive him, saying that it was because of this that he was separated from Chief Abiola and was consequently persecuted.
Al-Mustapha, in his submissions, said he was very close to Chief Abiola and that he had known him since 1985.
He added that he had, at many times, “facilitated his going in and out” whenever the late business mogul had anything to do with the military.
“He [Abiola] was to be killed on the day Abacha was killed. I took him away to a barracks to conceal him from those who, according to them, wanted the balancing of the equation,” al-Mustapha said.
He disclosed further that he was made to face a lot of panels on allegations which ranged from coup planning to gun running and that he was given a clean bill of health by all of them.
He, however, said it was Abdulsalami that recommended in his handing over note to President Olusegun Obasanjo that he still had questions to answer with regards to some issues.
He further claimed that Barnabas Jabila, alias Sergeant Rogers, who initially testified against him was very close to Abdusalami, who recommended him to join the Strike Force in Aso Rock.
In his testimony, al-Mustapha said at a point, Sergeant Rogers made a statement during investigation that there was no order by him to have Kudirat Abiola killed.
The statement was admitted as evidence by the judge, despite objection by the lead prosecution counsel, Lawal Pedro.
al-Mustapha, who started weeping at a point during his testimony, informed the court of how government agents subjected him to both physical and psychological torture to compel him to confess to the murder of Kudirat Abiola.
“I was kept in a cell with bars to the entrance, broken floors and smelly water. There was no light. I was fed once in a day. Sometimes there was no food at all,” he further revealed.
al-Mustapha said he was kept in chains, adding that he was, at another time, left hanging upside down.
He added that his wife, children and father were also maltreated, just to force him to talk.
The matter was adjourned till tomorrow, to enable him to finish his testimony and for continuation of the trial.
It will be recalled that Justice Dada had, on the July 14, ordered Major al-Mustapha and Alhaji Lateef Sofolahan, the other accused, to open their defence in their trial for the murder of Alhaja Abiola.
Justice Dada, however, acquitted and discharged former head of Aso Rock Mobile Force, Mohammed Rabo-Lawal, who was the second defendant in the matter, over what she described as the inability of the prosecution to establish any prima-facie case against him.
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