By Innocent Anaba
LAGOS — Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer, to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, who has been on trial for more than 12 years over alleged murder, yesterday, broke down in tears at a Lagos High Court, lamenting that he was kept behind bars because the authorities did not want him to reveal how late Gen. Sani Abacha and late Chief M.K.O. Abiola were murdered.
LAGOS — Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer, to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, who has been on trial for more than 12 years over alleged murder, yesterday, broke down in tears at a Lagos High Court, lamenting that he was kept behind bars because the authorities did not want him to reveal how late Gen. Sani Abacha and late Chief M.K.O. Abiola were murdered.
Al-Mustapha who is standing trial for the death of the late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola opened his defence, yesterday.
Led in evidence by his counsel, Al-Mustapha, told the trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada, that he had both audio and video evidence of how the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha and the late Moshood M.K.O Abiola were allegedly murdered.
Led in evidence by his counsel, Al-Mustapha, told the trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada, that he had both audio and video evidence of how the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha and the late Moshood M.K.O Abiola were allegedly murdered.
Al-Mustapha told the court that former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, was afraid he (Al-Mustapha) would make pubic, information at his disposal, hence he wanted him to spend the rest of his life in prison.
He said: “My incarceration was as a result of a script written and acted out by former Head of State, General Abubakar to further keep me in prison.
He said: “My incarceration was as a result of a script written and acted out by former Head of State, General Abubakar to further keep me in prison.
“First were the events that happened after the murder of General Abacha and late Chief MKO Abiola and for fear that I may divulge information that led to their death, they had to keep me in prison.”
He further told the court: “There is documentary evidence to show that shortly after the death of late Abiola, the then Head of State (allegedly) ordered that various sums of money be withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria.”
He told the court that $200 million, £75 million and N500 million were allegedly withdrawn from the CBN to appease South West leaders and douse tension that arose after the death of Abiola.
He told the court that $200 million, £75 million and N500 million were allegedly withdrawn from the CBN to appease South West leaders and douse tension that arose after the death of Abiola.
He told the court that all visitations to the late Abiola were on tape, disclosing that some people after visiting Abiola would come back at night to the Presidential Villa to speak against him.
How I made Abdulsalami Head of State
“I am an officer who is being persecuted. After the death of Abacha so much happened within three days and the country was without a President or Vice President. The then Vice President, Lt Gen Diya, was imprisoned for staging a coup. Many senior officers wanted to become Head of State, but God gave me the wisdom and I assisted General Abdulsalami Abubakar to become President. But, this is the price I am paying for my loyalty and for assisting him.”
Al-Mustapha said he did not order Sergeant Barnabas Jabila Msheila (alias Sgt Rogers) to kill Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, saying: “On several occasions I assisted the Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Mr. Kola Abiola, his personal physician, Dr. Ore Falomo and his lawyers to visit him (Abiola) in prison.
Abiola would have been killed the very day Abacha died but I relocated him within the barracks and used the Strike Force to protect him from those who wanted to balance the equation.”
The matter was adjourned to tomorrow for continuation of the trial.
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