On major intrigues trailing Major Al-Mustafa
Rather than dismissing Al-Mustafa as a liar as some commentators did, important issues in his revelations should not be overlooked if we want to gain deeper understanding of the complex web of intrigues and delicate negotiations surrounding the late Abiola’s freedom from incarceration. Major Al-Mustafa mentioned specific figures of the millions of dollars collected from […]
Rather than dismissing Al-Mustafa as a liar as some commentators did, important issues in his revelations should not be overlooked if we want to gain deeper understanding of the complex web of intrigues and delicate negotiations surrounding the late Abiola’s freedom from incarceration. Major Al-Mustafa mentioned specific figures of the millions of dollars collected from the Central Bank to allegedly bribe the Yoruba leaders. Whether they collected the money or not is beside the point. Why on earth should the Abdulsalami Abubakar administration order the CBN to release public funds not for development but for the specific purpose of bribing Yoruba leaders to enable him taste power for nine months without trouble from the pugnacious and stubborn southwest leaders? Whether the money was returned to the CBN later because the Yoruba leaders refused the inducement is also irrelevant. The most important issue here is the silence of General Abubakar who hasn’t as yet reacted to these specific allegations of bribery, using public funds.
When General Abubakar herded Major Al-Mustafa into detention few months after posting him out to Enugu, what was his motive? Was it public interest or private fear? Was it true that mountains of dollars were moved out of the Presidential Villa after Abacha’s death? Were these dollars returned to the CBN or taken to private homes? Is it true that Julius Berger built a mansion for General Abubakar? Is it also true that a strong room was constructed in the mansion? If it is so, why does a General need a strong room in his private home when he can transact business in the banks? Do Generals Obasanjo, Abubakar and other powerful forces have something to fear by keeping Major Al-Mustafa permanently in detention? Is Kudirat’s alleged murder being used to cover up the private motives of these forces who want him dead? Were Yoruba leaders sincerely committed to Abida’s freedom or were they simply using him as a bargaining chip for self-seeking motives?
It is an open secret that Al-Mustafa had access to the dirty secrets of these forces and, therefore, they would rather have him dead than free. The young Major was first accused of planning a coup by the Abubakar administration and that he carted away billions of hard currencies which would make him a deadly enemy. However, the Special Investigation Panel (S.I.P.) had cleared Al-Mustafa of these allegations. Rather than set him free, General Abubakar abandoned him in detention so that his successor, General Obasanjo, would come and deal with him because, he too, had his own private grudges against the late General Abacha’s Chief Security Officer. The alleged murder of Kudirat Abiola, therefore, provided the pretext for his enemies to deal with him.
The former Obasanjo administration reinstated Barnabas Mshelia (a.k.a Sergeant Rogers) into the army, despite his alleged link to the assassination of Kudirat Abiola. He was treated like a Prince by Obasanjo so that he could implicate Al-Mustafa. Rogers, who is the star witness in the case, originally admitted that he was assigned to kill her. He subsequently, however, turned a hostile witness and said he was induced with promises of handsome rewards if he implicated Al-Mustafa. He specifically alleged that two former Ministers of Justice, the late Bola Ige, Chief Kanu Agabi and the former Lagos State Attorney General, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, had visited him in prison to seek his cooperation to rope in Al-Mustafa.
In fact, Rogers’ revelations caused a major embarrassment to the prosecution team, which regarded him as a valuable material witness and the case had to be adjourned for months once again. Chief Bola Ige is dead to defend himself but Kanu Agabi and Professor Osibanjo are still alive and their refusal to deny or clarify Rogers’ allegations has left many Nigerians wondering whether this kind of allegation should be treated lightly. The refusal of the court to invite them for clarification didn’t help matters either, especially considering the fact that the inducement of a witness to implicate anyone is a perversion of justice.
Discerning Nigerians are concerned about the political intrigues behind this case. Major Al-Mustafa has appeared before nine Judges, including a magistrate, since the beginning of his trial in October 1999. The case has also recorded forty-nine adjournments ever since. Nigerians should not forget in a hurry that a former Chief of Army Staff under the late General Sani Abacha regime, General Ishaya Bamaiyi, was originally tried along with Al-Mustafa for alleged murder. But falsehood has short life span. Bamaiyi was discharged and acquitted of murder. He was taken before the court because he refused to support the decision of the Abdulsalami Abubakar regime, which officially endorsed General Obasanjo as the presidential candidate of the PDP in 1999. General Bamaiyi kicked against Obasanjo’s candidature on the grounds that it was not rational to transfer power to a former army General when Nigeria was at a point of achieving civilian-to-civilian transition, after many long years of military rule. For daring to oppose Obasanjo’s candidature, General Bamaiyi had to languish in prison for ten years and almost died from medical crisis before his innocence was subsequently established by the court.
The Yoruba leaders who are parading themselves as heroes of democracy and June 12 had indirectly contributed to Abida’s death through their naivety. In a society where people have conscience and honour, these so-called Yoruba leaders would have buried their heads in shame. In view of the foregoing, Al-Mustafa is a victim of intrigues and private agendas of powerful forces that would rather have him dead than free. He is therefore, a political prisoner and in this regard, President Goodluck Jonathan should grant him amnesty in the spirit of national reconciliation and healing. Spending thirteen years in detention is more than enough punishment. Mercy does not destroy a nation but vindictiveness can. If the amnesty to Niger Delta militants and the OPC Yoruba ethnic jingoists didn’t destroy Nigeria, why should the freedom of Major Al-Mustafa harm the country.
Soba wrote in from No. 123, Maiduguri Road, Kaduna (E-mail: [email protected])