₦airaland Forum

Published on January 22, 2026By Kayode Lawal

The Supreme Court has dismissed the trial of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd), the former Chief Security Officer, CSO, to the late Military Head of State, General Sani Abacha in the murder of late politician, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

Kudirat Abiola was the wife of the late businessman cum politician, Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election that was annulled by former President Ibrahim Babangida.

Mrs Kudirat Abiola was, however, murdered in Lagos in the nationwide crisis that followed the annulment and in the course of her persistent struggle to get the annulment reversed by the military.

The trial of Al-Mustapha on the murder charges brought against him by the Lagos State government was, however, put to rest on Thursday by a 5-man panel of Justices of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Uwani Aba-Aji.

At the proceedings where the Lagos State was slated to re-open the trial, no legal representation was made while no process was filed since 2014 when order to re-open the case was granted in favour of the state government.

When the matter was called, Paul Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria stood for Al-Mustapha and informed the Justices that Lagos has not taken any step to implement the order granted it in 2014 to re-open the trial.

He said that not even a notice of appeal was filed by Lagos as the appellant to demonstrate its seriousness to prosecute the trial.

The senior lawyer informed the Apex Court that in 2014 when order to re-open the trial was granted, Lagos was issued a 30 day ultimatum to file its notice of appeal.

Daudu explained that more than nine years after, nothing was done to comply with the order.

He therefore urged the Court to hold that the appellant has abandoned the case and should be dismissed in its entirety.

Justice Uwani Aba-Aji, who presided over the matter sought to know if Lagos was served with hearing notice, the question that was answered in the affirmative by the Registrar of the Court.

In a brief ruling, the Supreme Court in a unanimous decision agreed that Lagos has lost interest in the matter and consequently abandoned it.

Justice Aba-Aji held that nine years was long enough for the appellant to have filed notice of appeal and the appeal in the matter.

Besides, the Court expressed disgust that no legal representation was made by the state government while no information was made available to the Court and the respondent.

Consequently, the matter marked SC/CR/45/2014 was dismissed.

Another matter by the Lagos governor marked SC/CR/6/2014 was also dismissed on the same ground.

The Supreme Court had in 2014 in a brief ruling on the application by Lagos State for permission to re-open the case out of time, granted the request for the Lagos to challenge the Court of Appeal decision of July 12, 2013 that discharged and acquitted Al-Mustapha from the murder case.

The then Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Samuel Nkanu Onnoghen in the ruling of a panel of seven Justices ordered Lagos State to file its notice of appeal within 30 days.

The decision of Justice Onnoghen on the Lagos application argued by Osunsanya Oluwayemisi, a Senior State Counsel in the Lagos Ministry of Justice followed the consent of Al-Mustapha’s lawyer, Mr. Joseph Dauda SAN, not to oppose the application.

The acting CJN had said that by the decision of the apex court, the time for Lagos to appeal against the findings of the Court of Appeal on the celebrated murder case has been extended from July 12, 2013 when the Court of Appeal judgment was delivered till January 7, 2014.

By the granted permission in 2014, the coast became cleared for the Lagos to challenge the no guilty verdict granted in favour of the military officer by the Court of Appeal in 2013

In the then move to re-open the case, the Lagos State government had sought to file a notice of appeal out of the time at the Supreme Court asking for the permission of the court to allow it to challenge the Appeal Court findings of Justices Amina Adamu Augie, Rita Nosakhare Pemu and Fatimo Omoro Akinbami on ground of mis-carriage of Justice in the matter.

The state had in the application prayed the apex court to allow it to exercise its constitutional right to test the validity and correctness of the decision of the Appeal Court.

It claimed that it wants to raise its ground of appeal on arguable legal and factual issues especially the question of whether there is any direct or circumstantial evidence establishing the guilt passed on Al-Mustapha in the murder case.

It justified its lateness in filing the appeal on the ground that it set up two legal teams to review the circumstances of the case and the verdict of the Court of Appeal.

The government said that it took a long time for the two legal teams to present their findings and recommended that an appeal case can be filed and sustained.

The Lagos State Government said that it will ask the Supreme Court to set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal which on July 12, 2013 discharged and acquitted Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, in the murder case of late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

In place of the Appeal Court decision, the state government said that it will plead with the apex court to uphold and restore the death sentence by hanging placed on the former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the former dictator and late Head of State, General Sani Abacha by a Lagos High Court on January 30, 2012.

Al-Mustapha, Mohammed Abacha and one Lateef Shofolahan were arraigned before a Lagos high court on two-count criminal charge of conspiracy to commit murder and the murder of the late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola on June 4, 1996 in Lagos State.

In the judgment of the high court delivered on January 30, 2012 by Justice Moji Dada, the accused persons were found culpable as charged and sentenced them to death by hanging.

However at the Court of Appeal approached by Al-Mustapha on April 27, 2012 for the review of the trial and the conviction, the 3-member appellate court Justices in a unanimous judgment of July 12, 2013 voided the decision of the high court, set it aside and discharged and acquitted the accused on the ground that the evidence against them was not strong enough to warrant the death sentence.

https://dailypost.ng/2026/01/22/supreme-court-dismisses-trial-of-major-hamza-al-mustapha-in-kudirat-abiolas-murder/

E Fi ija fun olorun ja
E Fi Oro yin Mo oluwa

Nobody likes Abiola'and his family forget all the politics they always use his name to play.


😭😭😭😭😭

Omo wa ni
Awalokan

The useless omo is in power now,he cannot use his office to put those behind the killings of kudirat and others in jail. But wetin concern am,he only uses your brain for political gain while running after his Fulani slaves and not wanting to offend them

They can shout igbo this, igbo that during electionering. Ask them what the igbo has done,they cant have anything to point at except to dey beat around the bush

Oshi ni ile pako

If u die for Nigeria u died for nothing

Tinubu have started campaigning again, this man no sabi E work as president.

I'm so happy that justice has been underchanged for the Egbami people.

Let them feel how injustice is, so that they can change their ways.

God bless Abdul Mutallab
God bless Ladi Kwali
God bless Matthew Kukah
God bless Mudiaga Ogje
God bless Akanu Ibiam

The reality is that DON'T GET KILLED


Mustapha is still enjoying his life while Kudirat is far far gone

Look at the case if Mobad



Life never travels backwards o

Grow up Son

Stop exposing yourself


Grow up is all I can tell you

TheStoriesOfMan:
I'm so happy that justice has been underchanged for the Egbami people.

Let them feel how injustice is, so that they can change their ways.

God bless Abdul Mutallab
God bless Ladi Kwali
God bless Matthew Kukah
God bless Mudiaga Ogje
God bless Akanu Ibiam

allanphash7:
Grow up Son

Stop exposing yourself


Grow up is all I can tell you

This is harmattan period. Drink water and MIND YOUR BUSINESS!

Campaign strategy, if you know you know.

southsouthking:
Campaign strategy, if you know you know.

Na so
U spoke my mind


Character no dey finish

This story is long gone concluded na.

So that woman die go like that ?

Nigeria is indeed a Crime Scene

Alhaja Kudirat Abiola’s murder remains one of the darkest political assassinations in our history. A dismissal like this can feel less like closure and more like justice left unfinished.

What a nation. A 'NADECO' man is in power. God will rejudge the case.

More than 3 decades and this nonsense has not ended.

SHAME ON NIGERIA JUSTICE AND JUDICIAL SYSTEM.

MEGAWATCH:
Nobody likes Abiola'and his family forget all the politics they always use his name to play.


😭😭😭😭😭

Are you okay?
Can't you just speak for yourself?

So no one has been jailed for killing Abiola's wife

Ok, we are watching. Lets see who will complain since its a northerner and his name is not Nnamdi Kanu

happney65:
Omo wa ni
Awalokan

The useless omo is in power now,he cannot use his office to put those behind the killings of kudirat and others in jail. But wetin concern am,he only uses your brain for political gain while running after his Fulani slaves and not wanting to offend them

They can shout igbo this, igbo that during electionering. Ask them what the igbo has done,they cant have anything to point at except to dey beat around the bush

Oshi ni ile pako

Chai!

If d man do, unah go talk. If e no do, unah go talk 😂

To govern or satisfy Nigerians hard.

The same person sponsoring the case agreed to dismiss it through the back door, using his powers. Nothing new. Eniku tię lo gbe. A lesson for everybody.

In life, don't be dull like Goodluck Jonathan. Use your powers as a leader to the fullest against whosoever that may wish to topple your government with propaganda in order to have their way. Your opposition is your worst enemies so deal with them decisively. Jonathan ruined Nigeria with his cluelessneas. Sadly those he invited to run his government were there only to eat money. They lacked the knowledge and wherewithal to caution him, advise him aright or call him to order.

Had he taken care of the likes of tinubu, buhari et al, nothing would have happened till today even if anyone died while in prison as a result ill health. Nigeria would have been far better today. Na who wan japa when Jonathan was in office? You'd have to think twice. Our youths who are supposed to be the Nigeria's future are wasting their precious times doing odd jobs overseas due to leadership woes

Tonnyray:
Published on January 22, 2026By Kayode Lawal



https://dailypost.ng/2026/01/22/supreme-court-dismisses-trial-of-major-hamza-al-mustapha-in-kudirat-abiolas-murder/

There is something I would like to know. In the justice system, who is given preference in a case like this, Is it the victim, the nation or the people?

This position could have been out of considerations for the ripple effects of its unintended consequences. However, justice they say is blind and should not take into account any other factors, than remedy for the victim.

Not a nice idea to work against God and raid the other room of a traditional ruler -bad consequences follow such conduct.

Don’t die for Nigeria ooo, e no worth am

The one that got away................ sigh!

Like Bola Ige, like Rewane, like Kudirat Abiola.
This is Nigeria.

Yoruba civilians want to start civilian coup de tat no one called them coupist, but if nah ibos you will see all the hair on their body rises up

Nigerian judiciary, the more you look, the less you see!