Major Al-Mustapha: The shame of northern leaders

Using the influence of his office, the late Minister of Justice had the two Yoruba kinsmen released, despite the label of ethnic cleansing hanging on their necks. The late Bola Ige was not however, ashamed to get freedom for his people, despite the gravity of the allegations against the OPC factional leaders. Nobody should blame […]

Using the influence of his office, the late Minister of Justice had the two Yoruba kinsmen released, despite the label of ethnic cleansing hanging on their necks. The late Bola Ige was not however, ashamed to get freedom for his people, despite the gravity of the allegations against the OPC factional leaders. Nobody should blame the late Ige for proudly defending the interest of his people; he was not in government for the fun of it. If he didn’t defend the interest of his people, did we expect him to fight for northerners?

In contrast, however, northern leaders show utter disregard for the interest of poor northerners. The continued detention of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the late General Sani Abacha’s Chief Security Officer is an indictment on northern leaders. Other victims without connection being detained along with Al-Mustapha are the former Zamfara State Military Administrator, Col. Jibrin Bala Yakubu, the former Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr. James Danbaba and the commander of Mobile Police Force in the Villa during Abacha, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Rabo Lawal.

While militants in the Niger Delta were granted automatic pardon, despite carrying up arms against the federal government, thanks to the political pressure exerted by their leaders, it is apparent that Major Al-Mustapha and others are yet to find any strong northern voice to fight for their freedom. They have been left to their fate, thrown to the wolves, by northern leaders who are supposed to represent or protect their interests.

Major Al-Mustapha and his fellow detainees have been in custody for over eleven years and are victims of preconceived notion of guilt. When their trial started in 1999, the presiding Judge openly denied them the right to give testimony while sitting down; he said criminals shouldn’t have the privilege to sit down in his court. As a result, their lawyers protested and demanded the presiding Judge to apologise for his comment and withdraw from the case.

The case was tainted with prejudice from the start. It is on record that thugs were attending the trial at the beginning to boo the suspects during court proceedings and this was very unusual. Former President Obasanjo didn’t disguise his sanguinary desire for vengeance against the detainees. He showed extraordinary determination to get rid of them because the late General Sani Abacha dared to convict him for coup plotting in December 1997.

However, it is not the long detention of Al-Mustapha and fellow alleged murder suspects that is disturbing; what is disheartening is the incredible silence of northern leaders. Their open lack of courage to speak up on behalf of the victims is shocking. Former President Obasanjo was not a hero of June 12 and didn’t seek vengeance against Al-Mustapha out of special love for the late Kudirat Abiola. He was using her as a pretext to seek private vengeance against Al-Mustapha and others.

Even the Oputa panel appointed by Obasanjo in 2001 was part of his game plan for private vengeance. When he appeared before the panel as a witness over his role in the murder of the late Fela’s mother, Mrs. Funmilayo Ramsome-Kuti, former President Obasanjo could not stand the heat of cross-examination from the radical lawyer Femi Falana. He bolted out of the witness box, protesting that the no-nonsense lawyer was grueling him with merciless and embarrassing questions.

Gen. Obasanjo had originally though that he could use the Oputa panel to humiliate other past leaders, forgetting that the atrocities of his own former military administration would be exposed. He never returned to the Oputa panel since his hypocrisy was exposed. The motives for the trial of Al-Mustapha and others are openly political and their detention requires a political solution.

The star witness in the trial, Sergeant Rogers, was reinstated into the army by Obasanjo, despite allegedly murdering Kudirat, because the Obasanjo administration wanted to use Sergeant Rogers to have Mustapha and others convicted at all cost. Northerners leaders are fully aware of the political nature of this trial and have not done much to help the victims. Does it mean that the issue of Major Al-Mustapha and others is not important to northern leaders?

While they were hailing President Yar’adua for the “courage” to grant amnesty to militants in the Niger Delta, northern leaders didn’t demonstrate the same courage to demand the immediate release of Al-Mustapha and others from prolonged detention, running into eleven cruel years. This case is purely political and if OPC leaders and Niger Delta armed gangs could be pardoned, despite the gravity of their crimes, there is absolutely no excuse why northern leaders should not demand equal treatment for northern victims of political trial.

It is a shame that the National Youth Progressive Forum had to meet the emir of Kano to demand the release of Major Al-Mustapha and others. What are our lawmakers, governors and other political leaders doing about this matter? Does the emir of Kano need to voice his concern before northern political leaders realize the urgency of releasing these northern detainees?

 Hadi writes from the Department of Civil Engineering, Kaduna Polytechnic