Overwhelmed by emotion, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer, CSO, to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, yesterday wept openly at Kano Government House while recalling his ordeal in detention.
Al-Mustapha was released from Kirikiri Prison on Friday after about 15 years over the alleged murder of Kudirat Abiola, the wife of the acclaimed winner of June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late Chief MKO Abiola.
The CSO wept as he remembered his parents who died during his incarceration when he paid a thank you visit to Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.
He was accompanied by members of his family and close associates, including the Founder, Oodua People’s Congress, OPC, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun.
Al-Mustapha told the governor that he was a victim of trumped-up charges to get rid of him.
He said: “I must say that even though I lost my father and my mother whom I was forced to see only two times in 15 years – I am their first child – I must say I am their confidant and best friend in my family; and yet, even when the court forced the then authorities to allow me set my eyes on them, the approvals of the court were flagrantly refused.
“And I was kept and punished the more just a ploy to ensure that I don’t set eyes on my parents.
“I saw my father in 2001, and later I saw him in May 2007; my mother I was allowed to see her in August 2001, and then I was allowed also to see her after a long battle, despite instructions from the Federal High Court, Lagos. I saw her in 2006 and she died last year during Ramadan.
“Things we went through are things that I cannot sum up anywhere, but all I can say is that yesterday is gone, those who have perpetrated what they did against us have done it in their own deductions, analyses, feelings but to us yesterday is gone.
“We have drawn a line and we have forgiven them. We are forging ahead to set examples.”
He, however, told the governor that “now, Your Excellency, I have found a father – highly dogmatic, a senior citizen of this country, a detribalised elder, an intellectual, a person that is a father indeed with a wide shoulder and a big heart, a man that is very reliable, responsible, dependable, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun.
“He stood by me, having taken time to come to the court to realise what were going on in the court of law and, on the other hand, what were being scripted and sponsored on the pages of newspapers, magazines, television and the radio were different, he now decided to stay on the part of justice and insist that justice must be served.
“In rainy season, dry season, cold season, he was always in court.
“I know of the humiliation he served. Your Excellency, I must say that I have a father in the South-West and part of this country, that is my own and that is a personality I look on to for vision and guidance and I respect him as a father that can look through issues in this country beyond tribal sentiment, beyond religious issues.
“He is an asset to the country, and that is why I have anchored upon him as a father with whom we can look into the future together with.”
While receiving the released detainee at the Government House besieged by thousands of well-wishers, friends and sympathisers of the family, Kwankwaso urged them to join the government in welcoming back to Kano, Al-Mustapha, adding that they should also give thanks to Allah for making his release possible after all these years.
“What happened to him is a big lesson not only to the family but to everyone of us; but I give thanks to the judiciary for this bold verdict.
“The few times I visited him in prison, I saw the commitment and his faith in Allah, and it was obvious that he would one day regain freedom and today, that has been actualised; and the government, friends and associates of this great son will pull resources together to ensure his rehabilitation anywhere he chooses to live,” Kwankwaso said.
The governor said he was particularly happy that the campaign for Al-Mustapha’s release yielded the desired result.
Fasehun, in his vote of thanks, said he was delighted over the development and was overwhelmed by the unprecedented crowd that gathered at the airport to receive them.
“Hamza Al-Mustpha was taken away in 1999 in tattered clothes and in chains under a pitiable situation; but today he has returned a hero, we have always insisted that he was unjustly held. We felt concerned and decided to be part of justice.
“I am happy that after a heavy rain, the sky is good. This is the only country we can call our own. We must eschew mutual hostility, mutual suspicion and build not only a good nation, but a great nation,” he stated.
Al-Mustapha arrived Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport at about 12:05 p.m. on a chattered Donier 328 with registration number M-BETY, a UK- made jet.
But there were mixed reactions among prominent legal practitioners over the release of Al-Mustapha, and the former aide of Kudirat Abiola, Lateef Sofolahan from prison.
Commenting on the judgement, human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, said he received the news of Al-Mustapha’s acquittal with mixed feelings.
He said: “I am happy that the system of due process, of democratic resort to the law court for redress, is working. Had the judgement of Justice Mojisola Dada, of the Lagos High Court, that sentenced him to death, been delivered in 1994 when Al-Mustapha was CSO to Abacha, he would have been executed by now.
“It is indeed gratifying that Al-Mustapha is now benefitting from the same judiciary that he worked tirelessly to annihilate.
“I cannot take the acquittal as verdict of clearance for Al-Mustapha. I personally tasted of the madness, of the wickedness and deprivations that Gen. Abacha and Al-Mustapha subjected Nigerians to, when I was incarcerated in solitary confinement at the Directorate of Military Intelligence for nine months without trial.”
He commended the Lagos State government and its lawyers who followed the cases, adding that the state should appeal against the judgement to the Supreme Court.
Human rights lawyer, Fred Agbaje, said the judgement was victory for the rule of law.
The judgement had shown that the Nigerian legal system was moving away from public sentiments and circumstantial evidence-based trials to hardcore evidence-based convictions.
He said: “The judgement has affirmed that in Nigeria, our constitutional democracy is firmly rooted in the rule of law. I knew from the beginning that the case won’t succeed. The problem with the case was that the prosecution did not do their homework well. The case had prosecutorial lacunas.”
A Lagos lawyer, Friday Oshomagbe, said: “It was a well-considered judgement based on material evidence of the prosecution witnesses which to me was not cogent enough to prove their guilt.
“The state to me should be blamed. Why would the state leave Sgt. Rogers, who had confessed pulling the trigger that killed Kudirat and be pursuing shadow?
“Their using him as witness against Al-Mustapha was never right in the first place. Why should the killer be left of the hook and the one who they say supposedly gave order to shoot is being tried?
“And for the trial court to rely on incoherent circumstantial evidence in pronouncing their guilt is to me not good for our judicial precedent. Criminal trial is based on unimpeachable evidence of the prosecution and not sentiment or perceived circumstances and opinion.
“It is the investigators of the case and the state that failed the Abiola family in their quest for justice and not the judiciary.”
Meanwhile, members of the Christian Praying Assembly, CPA, have expressed strong hope that their convicted General Overseer, Emeka Ezeugo, a.k.a. Rev. King, would soon regain freedom also.
Their expectation followed the discharge and acquittal of Al-Mustapha by the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division.
Some of the members who craved anonymity spoke to National Mirror after their Sunday service yesterday at the CPA headquarters at 1, CPA Base, off Bishop Ojo Drive, Benson Anorue Street, Ajao Estate.
Al-Mustapha’s freedom seemed to have elicited strong hope among the members of the church as it became a topic of discussion, while they were leaving after the service.
“Now that they have released Al-Mustapha, we are confident that our Daddy G.O will soon be freed.
“In fact, this has become our major prayer point since we heard of the release of Al-Mustapha,” a middle-aged woman said.
“Yes, we have strong belief that our Daddy G.O will regain freedom very soon. If it is the same Lagos High Court that sentenced Al-Mustapha to death that also condemned our Daddy G.O, who says our Daddy G.O will not get the same treatment?” another female member said.
Justice Dada of Lagos High Court had in a judgement delivered on January 30, 2012, convicted Al-Mustapha on the offence of conspiracy to murder and murder of Abiola on June 4, 1996.
Similarly, Rev. King was on January 11, 2007, convicted and sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Joseph Oyewole of Lagos High Court, for the alleged murder of a church member, Ann Uzoh.
He allegedly poured petrol on the deceased for what he called “acts of fornication,” and set her ablaze, along with others: Olisa Chiejina, Chizoba, Uche Chukwu Iwoba, Vivian Ezeocha, Bunmi Olisa and Nwere Jesica. He was arrested in July 2006.
The victim eventually died as a result of injuries sustained from the burns. And on September 26, 2006, he was arraigned on a sixcount charge of attempted murder and murder, to which he pleaded not guilty.
King was found guilty by the trial judge.
He appealed the judgement but the Appealed Court affirmed the judgement of trial court.
However, when National Mirror visited during yesterday’s service, members were still carrying on with their usual worship despite the absence of their General Overseer.
But it was noted that their population had drastically reduced compared to when Rev. King was ministering.
Even the commercial motorcyclists, popularly called Okada riders, are affected by the decrease in population as worshippers from the church have reduced.
Surprisingly, members still show absolute love and devotion to Rev. King as they share testimonies of how much he is still impacting on them, during the service.
For instance, during the announcement, the slogan by the announcer before and after the announcement was “Daddy G.O. shall live forever for us in Jesus name,” and the members would give a resounding ‘Amen!’
Members, especially the females, put on vests that had an inscription at the back: “Stop fighting against God and His people.” Some also had an insignia that had the image of Rev. King on the necks.
Sources told National Mirror that the church allegedly receives Sunday service messages from Rev. King, even as he is still giving prophecies and performing miracles from the prison.
Indeed, during the service yesterday, the officiating minister: “If you have not redeemed your special offering that our Daddy G.O. commanded, do so immediately after the service.”
In a testimony that was read by the minister, some members of Nanka Branch in Anambra State, testified how Rev. King’s prophecies to them in April had started yielding results.
The minister said that Rev. King had asked all members to pray for financial breakthrough and they would receive the miracle within three months.
“How many of you love our Daddy G.O. Open your mouth and thank God seriously for our Daddy G.O in Jesus name,” he said.
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