AL-MUSTAPHA

Military, civilians privy to Shonekan’s removal

Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha, erstwhile Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late Gen. Sani Abacha, said the removal of Chief Ernest Shonekan as the Head of the Interim National Government was a consensus between the military and civilians.
He told a Lagos High Court in Igbosere, Lagos, that Abacha did not usurp power contrary to the general belief.
He said that there was a ``mutual understanding between the military authorities and the civilian leadership for him to take over power.
Al-Mustapha disclosed this while being cross-examined by the Solicitor- General of Lagos State, Mr Lawal Pedro, SAN.
``What most people did not understand is that decisions taken by military government are agreements reached by the military and civilians,’’ he said.
He described his prolonged trial as a form of psychological warfare and a let down on the part of both the prosecution and the court.
Al-Mustapha denied that he obtained the video tape on the late Abraham Adesanya’s visit to the Presidential Villa from the Nigerian Television Authority, insisting it was from his ``archive’’.
``My version of the tape was an unedited one; it was not the footage showed by NTA,’’ he told the court. The former CSO said he sent a police chief, Rabo Lawal, to Lagos to investigate the alleged burning of Abacha’s property and not to kill Mrs Kudirat Abiola as alleged by the prosecution.
``I sent Lawal to curtail a possible threat to Abacha’s house on Victoria Island. It was part of my schedule of duties as the CSO,’’ he said.
Al-Mustapha also denied that he ordered the arrest of the late M.K.O. Abiola after the annulment of his election, saying the then Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Kumasi, signed the warrant of arrest.
Al-Mustapha, who is standing trial over the murder of Kudirat, Abiola’s wife, opened his defence on Aug. 1.
Justice Mojisola Dada adjourned the case till Aug. 9 for the continuation of trial.