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The long trial of former chief security officer to the late head of state, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and Alhaji Shofolahan came to an end today in Lagos.

The duo, standing trial over the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, wife of late business mogul and presumed winner of the 12th June 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola were sentenced to death by hanging.

Presiding Justice Mojisola Dada said the evidence before the court was weighty, showing truly that the accused men murdered Alhaja Kudirat Abiola on 4th June 1996 in Lagos.

Al-Mustapha who has been in custody since 1999 was found to have been assisted by Alhaji Shofolahan, an aid to the late Kudirat Abiola to carry out the heinous act.

According to the court findings, Al-Mustapha and Shofolahan met between March 1996 and 4thJune of same year at the National Theater, Iganmu, Lagos to plan the assassination.  The findings revealed further that the first witness, Barnabas Jabila also known as Sergeant Rogers confirmed that the murder was plotted at the National Theater in Lagos.  Jabila had confessed that his former boss, Al-Mustapha handed over his personal gun to him for the operation.

The court however ruled that “the defendants are accordingly sentenced to death by hanging until they are pronounced dead”.

Meanwhile, there was jubilation in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital and home town of the Abiolas where people waited patiently for the judgment.

Daughter of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, Hafsat Abiola-Costelo hailed the long awaited judgment.  Hafsat, founder of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), a non-governmental organization founded to immortalise Kudirat Abiola said in Abeokuta that “the judiciary is the last hope of the common man”.

Sympathisers and friends of the accused were seen outside the court carrying placards showing various messages in the defence of Al-Mustapha whom they would have loved to be released by the court having spent almost twelve years in custody.

Nigerians, especially friends and associates of the Abiolas have continued to hail the judgment and in the days to come Nigerians across all walks of life shall continue to respond to the ruling.

For the second time in less than one week, Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos High Court in Igbosere on Monday shielded the former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, from being cross-examined on a vital document in the trial.

However, she admitted the document and marked it “Exhibit D16”, but vehemently refused the prosecution, led by Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), from interrogating al-Mustapha based on the document.

The “Exhibit D16” is a Supreme Court judgement on a prima facie application filed by the first son of Abacha, Mohammed, against the state.

In the said judgement, the Supreme Court had copiously quoted Mohammed’s testimony where he said he was in al-Mustapha’s office when Bernabas Msheila alias Sgt Rogers entered and was shown two bags containing machine guns and that he (Rogers) was to be sent on an assignment.

Al-Mustapha is standing trial over his alleged complicity in the death of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, wife of the acclaimed winner of the June 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola.

Pedro had sought to tender the judgement as exhibit but the defence counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, objected on the ground that it was not part of the proceedings of the court.

The defence argument was that since the statement was not made by the accused person, it should not be admitted.

Thisday http://www.thisdayonline.com/

The Lagos High Court trying Major Hamza Al-Mustapha for the 1996 murder of Kudirat Abiola has rulled that the ex Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha be put to task over his 1999 statement to a special law panel. Punch

Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha told a Lagos High Court, Igbosere, on Tuesday that he was “technically present” where Abiola died.
Al-Mustapha, chief security officer to the late Head of State Gen. Sani Abacha, and Shofolahan, an aide to the late Kudirat, are both standing trial for the murder of the woman, wife of the late Chief MKO Abiola, Kudirat on June 4, 1996.
He had said Abiola was murdered by poisoned tea while having a meeting at the Aguda House in the presidential villa.
Earlier, while being led in evidence by his counsel, Olalekan Ojo, Al-Mustapha had also said Abiola slumped after the meeting and nobody among those arround him could lift him up.
At the resumed trial during cross-examination by the counsel for the prosecution, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), Al-Mustapha maintained that his “technical presence” at the place Abiola died was as good as his physical presence.
He said, “I was technically present when MKO Abiola died. I got and watched the video from a central recording by the people who were present with him. My technical presence by the virtue of my duty and profession is as good as my physical presence.” Punch

-Ex-CSO: I ordered Ogboru’s torture -Denies role in Kudirat’s murder
EX-Security chief Hamza al-Mustapha told a Lagos High Court yesterday why the Strike Force – the Sani Abacha regime’s killing machine – was established.
The Strike Force and its sister squad, the Body Guard, were created to sustain the late Gen. Abacha in power, his former Chief Security Officer (CSO) said.
Every regime that seeks to survive, he said, requires an expanded version of the Strike Force. The Nation