The Al-Mustapha Revelation: Why Yoruba leaders are up in arms

Posted by admin General Politics, National Politics Saturday, August 6th, 2011

What they told Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar

Although late in the day, the revelations of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the once dreaded Chief Security Officer, CSO, to the late maximum dictator, General Sani Abacha, in a Lagos courtroom last week created what some are describing as comic distraction to other pressing national issues. Mustapha’s revelations eclipsed the six-year single term controversy and did same to the new deal reach between the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Federal Government of Nigeria on the minimum wage. Upon further interrogation, Sunday Vanguard came across even more startling revelations regarding the role of Yoruba leaders immediately after the death of Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the winner of the June 12, 1993, Presidential Election.

By Jide Ajani, Innocent Anaba & Bartholomew Madukwe

They were, indeed, offered money after the meeting; and it is authoritative.

The meeting was held inside the council chambers of Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Present at the meeting, Sunday Vanguard was told, were five prominent leaders of the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, the arrow head of the push for the actualization of the June 12, 1993, presidential mandate of Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola. It was a meeting called at the request of NADECO leaders immediately after the death of the late maximum dictator, General Sani Abacha.

There were other meetings but this five man NADECO team was led by Pa Abraham Adesanya who also doubled at that time as the Yoruba leader. Chief Arthur Nwankwo was also on the team as well as Chief Bola Ige. It was the week after Abacha’s sudden death. The atmosphere in a section of the country was filled with enthusiasm and expectations that maybe, just maybe, Abiola would be released from detention and an arrangement made to engage a transition programme that would take care of his mandate.

Therefore, the NADECO chieftains were upbeat about their meeting with General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the new head of state who was just getting used to his office.

Described by a TIME Magazine publication as having the visage of a night creature suddenly caught in daylight, his countenance, as he listened to the request of the NADECO leaders was not much different from one of “finish-your-talk-and let-me-be”.

The request, as tabled by Pa Adesanya, was that the leaders be allowed to have audience with Abiola. They said they needed to discuss the way forward with him since one of Abiola’s more familiar proverbs is that you do not shave a man’s head behind him, it would be meet and proper to have a feel of his point of view.

After the long homily by Adesanya, Abubakar’s response was a blunt NO. He also took pains to explain to them why they couldn’t see Abiola; not just yet. He explained that security of Abiola’s life was a major priority of his administration.

General Abubakar pleaded with the NADECO leaders that given ample time after which he would have settled down, they may be allowed to meet with Abiola, with a suggestion that he may even be released at some point.

The NADECO leaders believed General Abubakar. At the end of the meeting, the then head of state brought out a neatly packaged envelop, bulging in shape.

He handed it over to Pa Adesanya as leader of the team. Adesanya, according to one of those with information about what transpired, asked what was contained in the envelop?

To that inquiry, Abubakar responded that it was money. Adesanya, a veteran of the Second Republic Senate where he earned himself the description of a feisty debater, smiled wryly, and reportedly asked: “What for, if I may ask”?

Abubakar’s response was that it was his appreciation of their coming and to ease the cost of transportation to Abuja! Between the feeling of anger, disbelief and disappointment, Adesanya was said to have turned it down, adding, “I feel insulted that you are giving me money because I have come to visit you”.

Another Pa, Ayo Adebanjo, the Octogenarian Afenifere leader, in an interview with Sunday Vanguard explained that “that was what happened between Pa Adesanya and Abdulsalami Abubakar Sunday Vanguard was also told that other matters of state were discussed but another meeting was scheduled. The next meeting was the one which did not hold until after the death of MKO Abiola.

In fact, it was the video recording of events after the follow-up meeting at Aso Rock Presidential Villa, that Hamza al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer, CSO, to the late General Abacha, who is currently standing trial for his alleged role in the killing of Abiola’s wife, Kudirat, presented to the court as evidence that Yoruba leaders were unconsciously complicit in the death of Abiola.
According to him, there is documentary evidence to show that shortly after the death of late Abiola, the then Head of State allegedly ordered that various sums of money should be withdrawn from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He told the court that the sum of $200 million dollars, £75 million pounce and N500 million were allegedly withdrawn from the Central Bank to appease South West leaders and douse tension that arose after the death of Abiola.

He was led in evidence by his lawyer, Olalekan Ojo. At some point during trial on Monday, the former CSO, would break down in tears. But he told the trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada, that he had both audio and video evidence on how the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha and the late Moshood Kashimawo Abiola were allegedly murdered.

He told the court that the former head of state was living in fear that he would divulge information at his disposal hence wanted him to spend the rest of his life in prison custody.

“In the course of this testimony, I wish to say that I will omit any issue that will affect the National Security of the country as a serving officer of the Nigerian Army. My incarceration was as a result of a script written and acted out by accusing former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar to further keep me in prison. First, were the events that happened after the murder of General Sani Abacha and late Chief MKO Abiola. For fear that I may divulge information that led to their death; they have to keep me in prison” he stated.

It was on Tuesday that Mustapha further revealed that the former late Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, and late Yoruba leader, Senator Abraham Adesanya, both benefited from the money given out to appease South West leaders over the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

He told the court that former Head of State, General Abdusalami Abubakar directed the then Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, through a memo he (Abubakar) allegedly signed alongside the former National Security Adviser, Major Gen. Mohammed Abdullahi, to withdraw large sums of money in local and foreign currencies to settle some influential Nigerians, who compromised on MKO Abiola’s mandate of June 12, 1993.

The money withdrawn were $200 million, 75 million pounds and N500 million, According to him, Bola Ige was unconsciously used in the alleged murder of Chief Abiola.

He added that prominent Yoruba elders visited the Presidential Villa, not pleased over the June 12, incident but after inducement from the released funds, they went home happy and rejoicing.

He said: “When we finished the initial handover, we agreed on a 16 point agenda and one of them was to release MKO Abiola, his mandate in addition to conducting a short transitional programme. But late Chief Ige was drafted in to the Presidency and against our earlier agreement, they refused to release him (Abiola). Those Very Important Persons (VIP’s) came to the presidency to negotiate for the case of Abiola instead of talking of his release. Those who were coming to the Villa delayed his release for a month in order for him to be murdered”.

But Mustapha’s statement appeared contradictory again when he said “Whether late Ige was aware or not, I do not know”.

He tendered a VHS video tape labelled “Abraham Adesanya’s visit to the villa” and requested through his lawyer, that the tape be played in the court but the trial judge objected on the ground that the court room was too stuffy and that she could hardly breathe as a result of lack of air condition.

He stated that personalities were allegedly used through Bola Ige as he was an instrument used to reach other Yoruba leaders to compromise over the death of Chief Abiola.

“I was separated from Abiola and the late Chief Bola Ige was brought to the Presidency as a liaison to the South West leaders and to bring people against our collective agreement which was to allow Abiola to go home. At this material time monies were disbursed to a number of people negotiating on Abiola rather than allowing him to go home”

“I have two tapes which recorded both their (Yoruba leaders) coming into the Villa and their departure. When they came into the Villa to see Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar. There are two cameras used, one for the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, and the second was by my own operated by my body guard attached to the Villa.”

“When they arrived they appeared angry and refused to grant interview but when they were leaving their countenances and statements changed. It was no longer about June 12 and Abiola’s matter, it was now the issue of state security and the need for the country to forge ahead.”

The former CSO also tendered a letter with reference number NSA/320/5 dated July 8, 1998 (a day after Abiola’s death) allegedly written by Major-General Abdullahi Mohammed, the then National Security Adviser, NSA, and approved by the Head of State, General Abubakar directing the CBN to withdraw $200 million US dollars, £75 million pounce and N500 million in cash.

The letter which was read in the open court stated that the money was needed following the sudden event of July 7, 1998 (Abiola’s death) in the country and due to influx of visitors from within and outside the country as well as for administrative purposes.

“The money was brought and off-loaded in my presence; the money was brought to the Head of State in a long brown bag. South West leaders were brought to converge with Gen. Abdulsalami on the murder of Abiola,” he added.

The VHS video tape tendered by Al-Mustapha was played last Thursday in court.

The video tape played at the Lagos High Court Igbosere, at the resumed hearing in the murder case, showed late Afenifere leader, Chief Abraham Adesanya, late Attorney General of the Federation, Chief Late Chief Bola Ige and Mr Ayo Opadokun, former secretary of National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, and other South West leaders cheerful and smiling leaving the Presidential villa on July 8, a day after MKO Abiola’s death.

He said, “my predicament is simply a script that had been written. I was earmarked for this punishment. Abiola’s family is my family. I was told face to face by names I cannot reveal, that I will be killed. They cannot afford to have me around, running my mouth.”

From the video shown, Adesanya told journalists that the discussion with Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar centred on the setting up of a Sovereign National conference to prepare the constitution by which Nigeria will be ruled.

“The Head of State listened to our concerns and we concluded that the government of national unity will continue to be in place despite the death of Abiola.”

Asked by journalists on how Abiola’s death affected the outcome of the meeting, Adesanya’s response in the video was that he did not know.

Al-Mustapha also tendered a letter allegedly written by himself to the Late Bola Ige telling him how he was used to douse tension generated by the death of the late MKO Abiola.

The letter which was read in open court, stated that after Abiola was confirmed dead, Ige was counseled to bring all other South-West leaders under the guise of dousing tension.

“All these actions were deliberate. You were only used unconsciously to ensure that Abiola’s death was covered up. They succeeded in stopping all Yoruba leaders and Abiola’s family from suing by paying them off with huge sums of money withdrawn from the Central Bank,” he said in the letter.

Al-Mustapha had also alleged in the letter that the Chief Ige appointment as Attorney General of the Federation was aimed at rewarding him for the unconscious role he played in Abiola’s murder.

“Unknown to you sir, you were made to deny people their rights even they knew that you are a vanguard of human rights.

“The same blood money given to the Yoruba leaders the day after Abiola was murdered was also used in paying the media,” the letter read. Meanwhile, trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada adjourned the case till Aug 8, 9, 10 and 11 for continuation of trial.

The angst of Yoruba leaders today are based on some fronts. Firstly, they ask why it has taken this long for al-Mustapha to come out with his revelations. They also wonder why the Yoruba leaders he has fingered are the ones that have since died.

Some Yoruba leaders are also asking about the relevance of what happened in 1998 to what had happened in 1996.

In a series of interviews, some of them are wondering why it is difficult for Nigerians to see through what Mustapha is doing.

For instance, they point to the fact that the murder of Kudirat Abiola, for which some of those who were tried and convicted for the murder, also alleged that Mustapha knew about their action happened in 1996; that their visit to Abubakar in the first instance was immediately after Abacha’s death, seeking permission to meet with Abiola, which Abubakar turned down.

Even Pa Adebanjo said “there were series of meetings held in Aso Rock and one of those other meetings was the recording Mustapha paraded in court as proof positive that people collected money”.

Legal pillar, Femi Falana, also wondered where to locate the nexus between the killing of Kudirat in 1996 and the alleged inducement of Yoruba leaders in 1998.

For Falana, Mustapha’s story that he is being hounded because of the wealth of information at his disposal is just an attempt to distract people’s attention. Chief Bola Ige was the Attorney General of this country in 2001 before his death and so why didn’t Mustapha raise the issues then”, he wondered aloud

In an interview with Pa Adebanjo, Sunday Vanguard was told that since “Abdulsalami Abubakar is still alive, he should come out and tell Nigerians those he gave money to or better still explain to Nigerians what they did with the money they withdrew from government coffers”.

-Vanguardwp_posts

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Posted by admin on Aug 6 2011. Filed under General Politics, National Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry