Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, a former Chief Security Officer to the late
Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, said on Monday, that he would make some
shocking and detailed revelations in his new book, Mustapha’s Memoirs,
which is still a work in progress.
He said this while addressing journalists in Lagos – where he spoke
about his ordeal in detention, the death of the winner of June 12, 1993
presidential election, MKO Abiola and allegations made against him by
former President, Olusegun Obasanjo.
Here are 5 things we learned from the interview:
Both Abiola and Abacha were played
“For instance, when Chief MKO Abiola was in prison, many notable
Nigerians visited him. They will visit him in the morning, and when they
come back to the Villa in the evening to see Abacha, they would say a
different thing entirely. These people would visit Abiola and come back
to tell government a different thing about him. Major Hamza Al-Mustapha
“These same people would still go and tell Abiola a different thing
about government.”
Al-Mustapha has video evidence of Abiola’s visitors
“Unknown to these notable Nigerians, particularly notable Yoruba
personalities, who visited Abiola, their visits were recorded on video. I
did the video recording without their knowledge. They are on video. The
agencies of government have these videos evidence. These same people
told MKO Abiola never to accept any compromise or negotiations. They
advised him never to come back home without his mandate. All these
things are on video.
Oba Tejuosho was honourable and truthful to Abiola
“Of all the Yoruba leaders, only Oba Tejuosho told MKO Abiola the
truth: to accept the conditional bail and go home. “Only Oba Tejuosho
told MKO Abiola that Abacha was his friend, urging him to reconcile with
Abacha who was ready for reconciliation. It was Oba Tejuosho who told
MKO Abiola that he still had the goodwill and would win if he
re-contests after Abacha.
Same thing killed Abiola and Abacha
“What killed Abacha is what killed MKO Abiola. But I would reveal
that after my court case, still at the Supreme Court. I would publish a
book which has three volumes— the Mustapha’s Memoirs, which will tell
what happened under Abacha and how he died.”
‘Obasanjo lied?’
“Nobody contracted me to catch 1,000 mosquitoes under the Jonathan
administration, let alone human beings. I am Al-Mustapha. I have my
background away from the propaganda peddled by the likes of Obasanjo.”
“Obasanjo has had his day. I am doing my investigation and I have
discovered so many things as to what made him (Obasanjo) make such
allegation. I have it. I will release it very soon and that is why I
have challenged him to an open debate. Obasanjo is my senior in the
force; he was a former Military Head of State, but when issues of law
and rights of man are being discussed, definitely equality comes to the
fore.”
“You cannot put an allegation against your junior because you are a
senior, and you believe the junior would keep quiet. No, I would not.
That would amount to ignorance. I am not ignorant about our laws. I
challenge Obasanjo to an open debate so that he can substantiate his
allegations before the whole world; but he is yet to oblige the
challenge.”
“Thank God a new government is here today, where he (Obasanjo) can
bring up the issue, requesting it to investigate and, if there is any
contract between Jonathan and I to catch one single mosquito, I want to
say that I am guilty and want to be tried.”