Al-Mustapha: Opadokun, Adesanya’s Son, Yakassai Open Up •Security Beefed Up At Kirikiri

Posted by admin Headlines Friday, August 5th, 2011

FORMER national publicity secretary of the National Democratic Coalition [NADECO,] Mr. Ayo Opadokun, and son of the leader of the coalition, Honourable Bayo Adesanya,

have opened up on the sweeping allegations of bribery raised by former Chief Security Officer [CSO], Major Hamza al-Mustapha against late Chief Bola Ige, Senator Abraham Adesanya, among other leaders of NADECO.

Two prominent leaders from the North, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai and Alhaji Bashir Tofa, also broke their silence on the matter, which has heightened tension in many quarters.
Opadokun said it was the figment of the imagination of Mustapha that Adesanya and other NADECO leaders, who visited the Presidential Villa compromised their integrity.

Musta[pha, who is facing trial following the assassination of wife of the winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential poll, Chief MKO Abiola, Alhaja Kudirat, had alleged that huge sums of foreign currencies were released by the authorities to the Yoruba leaders as bribes.

The allegation triggered a spontaneous anger from many groups and individuals, who described the action as a deliberate attempt to disparage the leaders..

Opadokun explained that contrary to the impression Mutapha tried to create, the primary assignment carried out by them during the visit, which was at the instance of the then Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, was to deliberate on the unity of the country and proffer the way forward following the June 12 quagmire.

Opadokun declared that it was the greatest height of mischief for the former CSO to insinuate that the leaders collected bribes and compromised the democratic struggle embarked on by NADECO and other progressive forces across the country.

“Therefore, I deny that statement by Al-Mustapha which is just a fabricated lie to divert attention and paint himself as a hero. It is ridiculous for him to be saying that Yoruba leaders took money to cover late MKO Abiola’s death. He is only trying to rubbish our late leaders,” Opadotun claimed.

…It’s Blackmail -Adesanya’s Son
The son of Adesanya, Bayo, also shed light on the visit of the delegation, saying his father neither went to the Villa with any luggage nor came back with any after the trip.

He said he was in a position to make the clarification on the allegations because his father gave him the full account of what transpired during the visit.

Bayo emphasized that it was in recognition of the high moral standard, integrity and discipline that formed the trade- mark that the former leader even described Adesanya as a man of integrity during a condolence visit when he died.

“Major Hamza al- Mustapha has mental problem I presume, everybody, all Yorubas know that my daddy cannot do such a thing. When he was celebrating his 80th birthday, during the birthday lecture, General Abdulsalami Abubakar said at the lecture that Adesanya fought for democracy in Nigeria. How can such a person betray MKO Abiola when General Abubakar was head of state and he was sent for.

“Let’s assume he collected such an amount of money Mustapha mentioned , it should reflect in his lifestyle. He had only one bank account which is with First Bank of Nigeria Plc, it can be verified if at any point in time such a huge sum was lodged into his account.

“General Abdulsalami did say of him (Pa Abraham Adesanya) when he paid the family a condolence visit that he was a man of integrity , who could not be induced with money , and he would like to emulate him, al- Mustapha should be taken to psychiatric hospital for examination.

“By the way , what is the correlation between the murder case he is standing trial for and the visit of Pa Adesanya and some Yoruba leaders to General Abubakar?

“He is interested in discrediting Yoruba leaders, why didn’t he make such an allegation when they were alive?

“My father will never, never do such a thing. He has just two buildings in Nigeria , the one in Apapa, the one in Ijebu-Igbo, and these are properties he has built as far back as the 60s. His house in London was bought in 1952, when he was a law student .If at all , he collected that amount of money, he would have lived an affluent life , and probably built houses in Ikoyi and Victoria Island . I believe al Mustapha is being sponsored, probably by some Northern leaders to discredit the Yoruba leaders , so as to bring confusion and distrust among the Yoruba people .

“Adesanya’s followers knew him very well, and they trusted him , and up till today they can vouch for his credibility.”

The personal assistant to Adesanya during his life time, Reverend Tunji Adebiyi, also lampooned the former CSO for allegedly trying to rubbish the names of eminent Yoruba, instead of addressing the substance of his trial before the court.

He called on the government to investigate the allegation with the aim of unraveling all issues concerning the allegations because of their grave implications for the country.

“That is not to say that bribe was not given, the question to ask al-Mustapha is: Was the bribe given to them when they visited the Presidential Villa, was it credited into their accounts, or was it sent through an agent who probably delivered it into his own pocket? So, in that process, it may be the so- called bribes that did not get to those intended.

Who are the agents? The government must investigate it properly, painstakingly and come out with its findings,” Adebiyi urged.

…Substantiate allegation —Yakassai
The former Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters to former President, Shehu Shagari, Alhaji Yakassai said the former CSO has to present the video clip to substantiate the allegation.

This is just as Alhaji Hadi Mustapha, the immediate brother to Major al-Mustapha said the revelation coming from his brother now called for a serious concern among patriotic people of the country.

However, the former presidential candidate of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), Alhaji Bashir Tofa, who contested against the late business mogul, said the issue was controversial issue for now and refused to comment on the matter.

Alhaji Yakasai noted that al-Mustapha’s views would remain his personal statement until he would be able to prove that with presentation of the video clip for the teeming masses to watch and comment on.

Apparently in a bid to ensure adequate security for Major Hamza al-Mustapha , who is currently undergoing trial for the death of Simbiat Abiola, wife of late Bashorun MKO Abiola, the State Security Service (SSS) has been drafted into the security arrangement.

The prison authority has also embarked on high grade security alertness to combat whatever attack that might be launched on any of the three prisons , as a result of the revelation from the embattled major.

The Saturday Tribune gathered from a reliable source that since the Monday outburst from the embattled former Chief Security Officer, during General Sani Abacha’s reign, SSS officials have been responsible for his movement to and from the Igbosere Court.

…Fasehun Speaks
Meanwhile, Fasehun has said al-Mustapha’s outburst portends danger to national security.

Briefing newsmen, he stated that “I do not think only the dead went to Aso rock from what I saw. Pa Adesanya was not the only one at the Aso rock, other people were there.

All sides require justice; the dead and the living. His revelation, noting his position in the military, is a threat to the security fabric of this country.”

-Tribunewp_posts