I Was Never Kudirat’s Aide, Says Shofolahan

Posted by admin Latest Politics Thursday, August 18th, 2011

The trial of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha ended Wednesday at the Lagos High Court with a twist: the 2nd defendant, Alhaji Lateef Shofolahan, vehemently denied ever being a personal aide to the late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.
Both Al-Mustapha and Shofolahan are standing trial for alleged conspiracy in the killing of Kudirat, wife of the acclaimed winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Bashorun MKO Abiola.
Shofolahan was arrested and detained over allegations that as an aide to Kudirat, he provided inside information to help those who killed her.

He is already serving a 28-year jail term for his role in the failed attempt to kill Chief Abraham Adesanya, a key figure in the pro-democracy movement who died three years ago.
Giving evidence Wednesday, Shofolahan denied being an informant and added that the word “aide” was a media creation, saying that at no point did he serve as an aide whether as driver, gardener, errand boy or domestic staff to Kudirat.
He insisted that the only encounter he had with her was when he worked as a protocol staff with Hope ’93, Abiola’s presidential campaign organisation, and that she was always coming to collect campaign materials such as T-shirts, face caps, key holders, notebooks, and posters, among others, from the office.
He added that his position in Hope ’93 also afforded him the opportunity to meet other Abiola’s wives such as Doyin and Bisi.
The defendant stated that at Hope ’93, he worked directly with Dr. Jonathan Zwingina, who was the director-general of the organisation.

Shofolahan, while responding to a question from the defence counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, on whether or not he knew Kudirat, said: “My lord, I knew her when we campaigned at Hope ’93. She was coming in company with Dr. Doyin Abiola and Bisi to collect campaign materials. I had never worked with Alhaja Abiola. I was never her personal assistant or driver. I challenge anybody to come from Abiola’s house and confirm or testify that I worked for her.”
The witness disclosed that before he joined Hope ’93, he was a distributor with Nigerian Breweries Plc, Guinness Nigeria Plc and Nigerian Bottling Company Plc.

Speaking on his schedule at Hope ’93, Shofolahan said: “I gave accommodation to people at Gateway Hotel. After sometime, I was moved back to Hope ’93 itself to be in charge of gifts, posters and campaign materials. When the election was cancelled in 1993, at the end of July, everybody was paid off. After the closure of Hope ’93 by Zwingina, I went back to my shop at 12, Abeokuta Road, Mushin. My business name was September 10 Enterprises. I have been in beer business since 1986.”
The witness stated further that he had no other job till 1998 when he joined Obasanjo presidential campaign for the 1999 election.
Throwing light on what led to his arrest on October 8, 1999, Shofolahan said he was working at the Presidential Villa when he was arrested over an allegation that he was using the name of President Olusegun Obasanjo to collect money from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

He stated that he was later taken to the police headquarters in handcuffs around 4 to 5pm same day. At the police headquarters, the witness said, “about eight to 10 of the police officers came with recorders and video. They threw questions at me and I answered them”.

Shofolahan disclosed further that the following day, he was forced to copy a statement he never made.
He said: “The statement I wrote is not what I said. I was forced to copy it. When I was in Abuja before the SIP, I begged AIG Abimbola Ojomo and told her that I had never worked with anybody either as a personal assistant or a driver. I had never worked with Alhaja Kudirat Abiola all my life. It is paper propaganda. It is a lie.
“My lord, they beat me and tortured me seriously. I begged the woman that headed the SIP, Mrs. Ojomo, to invite Abiola’s family to identify me as having worked with Kudirat. My lord, before I was taken before her, I begged her and she promised to take me there but she never did up till today.”

When asked about how he met the 1st defendant (Al-Mustapha), the witness said: “In March 1998, during the two-million-man march for Abacha, I don’t even know that the 1st defendant was among those on the high table at the Eagle Square. That was the first time I met him. The second time I met him was at the SIP in Abuja. I was a leader of the youths from Ojuelegba during the two-million-man march. We that went from Lagos that day for Abacha rally were more than 3,000.”
The witness said he saw the 2nd prosecution witness, Sergeant Bernabas Jabila (aka Rogers), for the first time at the SIP in 1999. He also denied giving any information to him on anything.

On the testimony of the 3rd prosecution witness, Mohammed Abdul aka Katako, that he knew Shofolahan and that they met in his house and at the National Theatre, he said: “I don’t know Mohammed Abdul. He never came to my house before. Mohammed Katako has never met me at the National Theatre. He was the same person that told the court that he was in Azare on the same day. How come he now met me at the National Theatre? I never took Katako to Ikeja. M.K.O. Abiola’s house is not a hidden place.”
Speaking on the allegation of conspiracy in the murder of Kudirat, Shofolahan said: “I didn’t conspire with anybody my lord and I didn’t kill anybody. All these allegations, I don’t know where they come from. Maybe my family committed an offence before I was born that I am suffering for now.”

He said that he learnt about the woman’s death just like any other person because it was a national issue and that he did not know how she died, whether she was shot or not.
He told the court that he did not attend her funeral because the area boys took over the whole of Ikeja.
The witness declared that the only thing that was correct in the entire statement he made at the SIP was his name, age and house address. He maintained that he was forced to copy from a prepared statement everything in the statement of October 8, 1999 by the SIP.

Consequent upon the conclusion of the cross-examination and re-examination of the defendants and witnesses, the presiding judge adjourned the case till November 10, 2011 for the counsel to both parties to adopt their final written addresses.

-ThisDaywp_posts