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I am the sacrificial lamb, says Al-Mustapha
By Ayo Okulaja
234next.com Mon
Aug 8,2011
The murder trial of Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security
Officer (CSO) to the late General Sani Abacha continued in Lagos
on Monday, with the prosecution, led by its counsel Lawal Pedro
(SAN), taking its turn to question the military officer who,
last week, made several startling allegations against some
former political leaders of the southwest.
Answering questions from Mr Pedro, Mr Al-Mustapha said he faced
10 different panels before he was transferred to Lagos for trial
on the murder of Kudirat Abiola.
He, however, said the statement he made in October 1999,
admitting complicity in the murder, was extracted from him under
duress by the Special Investigative Panel (SIP) set up by the
State Security Service.
“The statement was declared as my visa to Lagos by members of
the SIP,” he said. “The statement was a dictation, while I was
blue-flamed from a nylon paper and also because my brother was
in detention and I was allowed to see my children for the first
time in the 12 months that I was detained. I also did it because
they would let me go to the prison and have access to a lawyer.”
Answering questions about his relationship to the generally
reviled military government he served, Mr Al-Mustapha said Mr
Abacha was the most hated and misunderstood head of state in
Nigeria. He claimed that the coup that brought Mr Abacha to
power was a rescue mission to save the nation.
The coup, he said, marked a “change of course in the political
history of Nigeria, which was always agreed on by a consensus of
military and civilian leaders,” adding that “the person who
suddenly found himself in power (Shonekan) called for rescue. No
military government ever comes into existence on its own without
an agreement between the military and some civilian leaders, and
this marriage is continuous until when personality clashes comes
in, causing a rift.” The murder suspect admitted that National
Democratic Coalition (NADECO) was an opposition group to Mr
Abacha’s regime, but added that the military was, indeed the
biggest opposition to regime, claiming that “we contained over
four coup attempts” from the military during that period. He
denied knowing Abraham Adesanya, Sulia Adedeji and Alfred Rewane.
Ms Adedeji and Mr Rewane were also murdered by suspected agents
of the then military government, while Mr Adesanya survived an
assassination attempt.
“I heard of their deaths in the news,” Mr Al-Mustapha said on
Monday.
Although he affirmed that the government he was part of arrested
some of those people, he claimed he knew nothing about the
arrests.
“If I had being part of the council that ordered their
persecutions, I would not be here (court) today,” he said. “The
agencies responsible for their arrest should be in this court
for their duties, but I am the sacrificial lamb.”
Plea of innocence
Mr Al-Mustapha stated that the then Inspector General of Police
signed the arrest warrant of the late Mr Abiola.
“The arrest was not under my control. He was brought under my
watch in Abuja after he complained about the police around him.
I paid
₦800,000
quarterly for cooking his meals,” he said. “Those people who
stood against Abiola are people that are high up there that
cannot be brought to court.” He said the questions prosecution
should ask is what happened on the day Abiola died.
“He slumped with his face down, how come all those that are in
the room didn’t help him?” he said.
He, however, affirmed the existence of a special group of
bodyguards and the Special Strike Force (SF) during the Abacha
regime. He said this was to “contain/repel all
aggressive/offensive attacks on the government The Strike Force
was created on 1/02/1995 and resumed work by 05/1995.”
He said the strike force members were sent to Libya while the
bodyguards went to North Korea largely because of “their
welfare” and not just trainings because “we would even give
better trainings here in Nigeria”. The suspect also admitted
sending Rabo Lawal to Lagos thrice, but he said this was to
protect Mr Abacha’s property after plans by NADECO to burn the
house were uncovered.
He stated that “between the 4th of June, 1996 when Mrs Abiola
and her driver were fatally shot and June 6, 1998 when Mr Abacha
died, the police investigated her death” and urged the court to
demand that the agency make public what they found out.
Hearing continues on Tuesday.
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