baslone:

Why I'm not celebrating Al-Mustapha's conviction By Femi Fani-Kayode


As far as I am concerned, based on the evidence that was adduced in court, this man
had absolutely nothing to do with the killing of Kudirat Abiola


When I heard that Major Hamza Al Mustapha was convicted of murder and sentenced to
hanging by a Lagos High Court yesterday afternoon I was utterly shocked, saddened and
disgusted. And let me tell you why. I was one of those that opposed the late General Sani
Abacha's government and fought against Al Mustapha and co. with every fibre of my being
during the NADECO days.


Given that, if anything, I should have been rejoicing with the many other NADECO leaders,
supporters and stalwarts who honestly believe that Al-Mustapha actually ordered the death
of our wonderful heroine Alhaja Kudirat Abiola and who believe that he deserves to die as a
consequence of it.


However I am not rejoicing with them simply because as far as I am concerned, based on
the evidence that was adduced in court, this man had absolutely nothing to do with the killing
of Kudirat Abiola.


I believe that whatever we do we must always operate within the law and there is no place
for the expression of unfettered emotions, vendetta or jungle justice in a civilised country when
it comes to the administration of justice. I have been following this case closely for the last four
years and I have publicly called for the release of Al Mustapha on a number of occasions simply
because I found it shameful and unjust that the state could lock up a man in a dungeon for 13
years without being able to prove a case against him.


By doing that, they have already almost ruined his life yet there is a presumption of innocenc
in our law. Now the state has gone even a step further in this whole unsavoury and disgraceful
episode and they have convicted a man to hang for something that he knew nothing about
simply because they want to silence him and stop him from exposing the truth about the role
that many of the high and mighty played in the death of Abacha, MKO Abiola and many others.


They want to jail and kill Mustapha just as they have jailed and killed so many other innocent
men that came before him. Let me make this clear- I hold no brief and I have no sympathy
whatsoever for the Abacha government that Al-Mustapha served and neither do I seek to
defend their actions whilst in office.


The truth is that they committed many atrocities and till today many find it hard to forgive them
for those atrocities. Many of our people in the south-west were killed, locked up and driven into
exile by that government as was the late General Shehu Musa Yar'adua and many others from
other parts of Nigeria.


I myself had to leave the country and go into exile in Ghana in 1996 because of them and I
never thought that I would ever return to Nigeria again. Yet, despite all that, I cannot allow
my bitterness and anger with the Abacha regime to becloud my reasoning and sense of justice
that I would support or applaud a case of what would essentially be judicial murder.


Yes Abacha's government and even Mustapha himself, as a consequence of his unflinching loyalty
to his boss, committed atrocities and violated the rights of many but does that mean that we should
do the same to them? Do two wrongs make a right? Are we all to descend into the pit of slaying the
innocent and punishing their families simply because we must have our pound of flesh and even where
there is no tangible evidence to justify such a course of action? I challenge those that doubt me to look
at the evidence and to study the judgement closely as I have done.


It is wickedness and it is a travesty of justice. Worse still it sends the wrong signal to an already
tense nation that is fraught with regional, north/south and christian/muslim tensions. This absurd
judgement could not have come at a worse time and I have little doubt that the Boko Haramites
amongs us (whether it be the overt or covert ones) will make quite a song and dance of it.


Thankfully Al Mustapha has the right to appeal but the implication of that is that this man's enemies
have virtually destroyed his life already and left him with no hope because, unless he is granted bail
pending that appeal, he will be struggling with it from the dingy dungeons of Kirikiri prison all the
way to the Supreme Court for the next ten years. That is the Nigerian state and ''system'' for you.


When you are loyal to your leader, when you speak out in his defence, when you defend him with
your life and when you tell the world the truth they come at you with everything that they have got
and seek to jail or kill you for it once that leader is no longer in power or is no longer alive. One thing
is clear though- those that seek to hang Al Mustapha and silence him forever have forgotten the God
factor.


They have forgotten that there is a God of justice and mercy who still rules in the affairs
of men and who forges the destiny of nations.


For my old adversary and new friend Major Hamza Al Mustapha I will not beg any mortal
for mercy and neither will I plead for him. I will only pray to the Living God that if truly this
man is innocent, as I earnestly and honestly believe that he is, then he should be eventually
freed and completely vindicated. This is especially so because something tells me that our
country will still need him.


God's ways are not ours and only He sees and knows the hidden things that lie ahead. It
is not Al Mustapha that we should weep for, it is Nigeria.


Finally let me restate my position clearly for all to see and for posterity to take note of.


I believe that Hamza Al Mustapha is innocent of this crime. As far as I am aware there is
absolutely no evidence against him and the only person that said that he ordered him to
go and kill the late Kudirat Abiola (Sergeant Barnabas Jabilla) has long since recanted and
said that he was induced and compelled to give that false evidence by the authorities.


In any civilised country that would have been the end of it but not in Nigeria. In Nigeria it
is a case of ''we must get him at all costs'' even if it means bending the law and influencing
the courts.


One has to ask whether, as a people, we have any fear of God? Is there any justice in Nigeria?
Is there any fairness? Can we ever rely on the courts to do the right thing when the state determines
to punish an innocent man for his perceived sins against the powers that be?


I am fed up and disgusted with the sort of things that go on in this country when it comes to
such matters and I just cannot understand how Nigerians are so comfortable with such injustice
and wickedness being meted out to their compatriots. Do they not know that tomorrow it could
be them or a member of their family? On this matter I stand by Al Mustapha shoulder to shoulder
just as I do with every other innocent person that has been unfairly charged to court for political
reasons and who has suffered persecution at the hands of a relentless and vicious state that
have no fear of God.


This country just has to change. God's wrath is stirred up by such wickedness and insensitivity.

You lock up an innocent man for 13 years in the most horrific conditions for something that he
did not do, you delay his trial, you wrongly convict him where there is clearly no evidence to
justify it and now you want to hang him? God is not asleep Nigeria. Unless God wills it, Hamza
Al Mustapha will not hang and ultimately he will be vindicated. My prayers are for him and for
his family at this difficult time. God bless Nigeria.


Nigerian Govt need to look into this case if this mustapha is innocent indeed they should free him,we need to stop wasting the life of innocent citizens.

Honeycity:

it appears this guys is high on drugs lately, he wants to be relevant in the Nigeria polity, seeking attention by all means

ilugunboy:

This guy speaks from the four vocal points of his mouth. . . . .probably he has evidence that the court don't have and it's not in public domain. . . .why not share such priviledge information instead of engaging in conjenctures and front -and-reversing motion?

it appears this guys is high on drugs lately, he wants to be relevant in the Nigeria polity, seeking attention by all means

The truth is that they committed many atrocities and till today many find it hard to forgive them for those atrocities. Many of our people in the south-west were killed, locked up and driven into exile by that government as was the late General Shehu Musa Yar'adua and many others from other parts of Nigeria. I myself had to leave the country and go into exile in Ghana in 1996 because of them and I never thought that I would ever return to Nigeria again. Yet, despite all that, I cannot allow my bitterness and anger with the Abacha regime to becloud my reasoning and sense of justice that I would support or applaud a case of what would essentially be judicial murder.

Yes Abacha's government and even Mustapha himself, as a consequence of his unflinching loyalty to his boss, committed atrocities and violated the rights of many but does that mean that we should do the same to them? Do two wrongs make a right? Are we all to descend into the pit of slaying the innocent and punishing their families simply because we must have our pound of flesh and even where there is no tangible evidence to justify such a course of action? I challenge those that doubt me to look at the evidence and to study the judgement closely as I have done

baslone:

Why I'm not celebrating Al-Mustapha's conviction By Femi Fani-Kayode


As far as I am concerned, based on the evidence that was adduced in court, this man
had absolutely nothing to do with the killing of Kudirat Abiola


When I heard that Major Hamza Al Mustapha was convicted of murder and sentenced to
hanging by a Lagos High Court yesterday afternoon I was utterly shocked, saddened and
disgusted. And let me tell you why. I was one of those that opposed the late General Sani
Abacha's government and fought against Al Mustapha and co. with every fibre of my being
during the NADECO days.

Poor fellow Lateef Sofolahan. People appear to have forgotten he was also convicted in this case.
Two people condemned to die and the news has simply neglected the other? Na goat?