M.K.O Abiola, Abacha Were Murdered,says Al-Mustapha in Court

Former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to deceased General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha Monday told a Lagos High Court that the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election, Bashorun MKO Abiola and General Sani Abacha were both murdered following theintrigues that surrounded Nigeria’s power play in the aftermath of the annulment of the June 12 Presidential Election.
Al-Mustapha who is standing trial for the alleged assassination of one of the wives of Abiola, Kudirat, said he has both video and audio evidence to prove how both men were killed.
Mustapha blamed former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar for his long incarceration for fear of divulging information about how the men were murdered.
Abacha died in office in June 1998, while Abiola died in detention about 3 weeks later in July 1998. Both deaths were officially declared as resulting from natural causes, but Al-Mustapha who was responsible for Abacha’s security and Abiola’s wellbeing at that time has maintained over the years that they were both killed.
"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.
“I am an officer who is being persecuted.  After the death of Abacha so much happened within three days and the country was without a President or Vice President. The then Vice President, Lt Gen Diya, was imprisoned for staging a coup. Many senior officers wanted to become Head of State, but God gave me the wisdom and I assisted General Abdulsalami Abubakar to become President. But,this is the price I am paying for my loyalty and for assisting him.
“My incarceration was as a result of a script written and acted out by former Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar to further keep me in prison. First were the events that happened after the murder of General Abacha and late Chief MKO Abiola. But for fear that I may divulge information that led to their death, they had to keep me in prison till today,” the former CSO stated while being led in evidence by his counsel.
"Abiola would have been killed the very day Abacha died, but I relocated him within the barracks and used the Strike Force to protect him from those who wanted to balance the equation,” Hamza Al-Mustapha said, adding that when Abiola was eventually killed, General Abubakar ordered the central bank to release various sums of moneys--$200 million, £75 million and N500 million to placate South West leaders to ease the tension in the region at that time.
He denied the allegation that he ordered the assassination of Kudirat Abiola. The court adjourned further hearing till August 03, 2011.