A former chief security officer (CSO) to the late Gen. Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, yesterday informed a Lagos High Court in Igbosere that he only asked Sgt. Barnabas Jamila (a.k.a. Sgt Rogers) to clean his gun but not to use it to kill Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

He added that the ammunition with silencer that was used to kill Kudirat did not emanate from him and that he did not instruct Sgt. Rogers to kill Kudirat.
In a confessional statement he made before the Special Investigation Panel (SIP), Al-Mustapha had said, “It could be true that I gave him (Rogers) my arm for cleaning which used to be my pattern of giving my arm whenever we come back from range exercise.

‘But, certainly I did not give him my personal arms and ammunition to kill Alhaja Kudirat Abiola with it. I did not send the sum of N50, 000 to Barnabas Jabila as claimed after he shot Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.’

The ex- CSO stated this during cross-examination by the Solicitor -General of Lagos State and the lead prosecution lawyer, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN).
Lagos State government is prosecuting Al-Mustapha and Lateef Shofolahan, following their alleged involvement in the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

At the resumed hearing of the case yesterday, a fierce argument had ensued over the prosecution insistence that Al-Mutapha should read his confessional statement just as the ex-CSO had claimed that the statement was made under duress.
But Justice Mojisola Dada overruled the objection of the lawyer to Al- Mustapha, Mr. Lekan Ojo, and directed the former CSO to read the content of his statement made to the SIP on October 13, 1999 in open court.

In his statement made to the SIP, Al Mustapha had claimed that he might have given Sgt Rogers his gun to clean but not to kill late Kudirat Abiola.

When asked about his relationship with Mohammed Abacha, he said, “My relationship with Mohammed Abacha was as a result of being the son of late Gen Abacha; my primary schedule includes his safety. He was arrested in connection with the issue of his father’s money. I was the first person to be arrested for his father’s money and I faced a panel. Mohammed Abacha was arrested simply because he was to be quizzed on one single issue – that is because of his father’s money – but he was framed into this matter because they were looking for Abacha’s money.”

In the statement, Al-Mustapha said he met Sofolahan during the two million-man –march organised by the youths in Abuja and that one Sariki Shasha introduced Shofolahan to him as an informant.

But before he read the letter, Al-Mustapha told the court that although he was not a lawyer, the statement he was asked to read was dictated to him by the SIP.
His words: “I am not a lawyer, but I am reading SIP’s statement. I repeat I am reading a statement made by the SIP, I was tortured , I was badly subjected to torture that is unprintable, torture that included my father, younger brother and my immediate family. I was psychologically tortured. I want it to be on record my Lord that I said it is the SIP that said ‘making this statement was their visa to bring us to Lagos and not my visa to come to Lagos’.

On how he met Sofolahan, he said: “Prior to the two-milliom-man-march, selected youth leaders from all the states of the country were brought to the Ministry of Youths and Sports in Abuja.

The former CSO said he became concerned about the million-man-march because the event was to take place in Abuja and because of the proximity of Eagle Square (the venue of the event) to the presidency.

He added that the entire three –arm zone was under the control of the CSO.
Speaking on the statement he made to the SIP, Al-Mustapha said he made 28 statements and that none of the statements was done voluntarily and out of his own volition.

“If I were to write it on my own, it would have contained a different thing entirely. For instance, Rabo Lawal was not in Nigeria when the incident happened. His clearance and permission was through me and was documented by the Police and the SSS. I am before a court of law and that is where my confidence lies.

“I have never tasted beer in my life, I have never smoked and I have never taken drugs, so for one to say something is wrong with my memory that I cannot recall an officer who was in Libya and here I am writing that he is in Nigeria, that is absurd. It must be investigated, the whole game plan was that of the SIP directing the prosecution to convict us at all cost and coordinated by Chief Bola Ige , the then AGF. I have the document and we tendered it in 2002 before Justice Ade Alabi.
The statement was later admitted as exhibit DI5 while the case was adjourned till August 15.

Al Mustapha may b many things but definitely not stupid.

My instincts tels me, he was framed up nd telin d truth

and directed the former CSO to read the content of his statement made to the SIP on October 13, 1999 in open court.


. . . . . . . . . . .


“I have never tasted beer in my life, I have never smoked and I have never taken drugs, so for one to say something is wrong with my memory that I cannot recall an officer who was in Libya and here I am writing that he is in Nigeria, that is absurd. It must be investigated, the whole game plan was that of the SIP directing the prosecution to convict us at all cost and coordinated by Chief Bola Ige , the then AGF. I have the document and we tendered it in 2002 before Justice Ade Alabi.

In 1999, Bola Ige was not the AGF, he was minister of power. He became the AGF in mid-2000 after he was transferred following the first nationwide electricity power collapse.

Mustapha needs to refresh his memory asap possibly by guzzling beer not just tasting it

LOL @ AL mustapha
HA HA HA HA. . . This is the remix!!!

Mustapha is incriminating himself.

When you go to range for shooting exercise there are few protocols.

1. You can practice with regular ammo or dummy ammo. Its only a target practice and using live ammo is wasteful and increases risks of accidents in the range due to direct hit, accidental discharge or a misfire.

2. If live ammo is used, it is not to be loaded untill the trainee is in the booth (indoor) or positioned (outdoor) for target practice.
3. When you finish practice, magazines and cartridges are to be emptied and firearms are to be inspected and the chamber cleared.


So I don't understand the "I gave my firearm to Rogers to clean" and next thing I know, Mrs Abiola was dead.

Where did the ammo come from? You don't give a loaded gun for cleaning.