The Post Express (Lagos)
Frank Alabi And Tunji Adeyemi
24 November 2000
Lagos — Former Chief Security Officer to the late General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, yesterday for the third time in one week, made another appearance at the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa-led Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (HRVIC) sitting in Lagos with a revelation that some top Nigerians conspired to kill the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola by all means soon after Abacha's death.
Apparently in keeping with his earlier promise to make more revelations concerning the regime of General Abacha vis-a-vis the opposition group, Major Al-Mustapha said there were some powerful forces within and outside the military who wanted Abiola dead at all cost soon after Abacha's death. He did not mention names.
Rather, he pledged to offer more revelations on that and other issues "at the appropriate time," perhaps, when his petitions before the commission are heard.
Al-Mustapha was responding to the petition filed at the commission by former Attorney General and Minister of Justice under Abacha regime, Dr Olu Onagoruwa, who had petitioned the commission concerning the assassination of his son, Mr. Oluwatoyin Onagoruwa. Specifically, Onagoruwa accused members of the dreaded Strike Force (SF) under the command of Major Al-Mustapha as being responsible for the killing of his son during the Abacha administration.
On the power game within the military hierarchy at that time, he said soon after Abacha's death, he had every opportunity to become head of state if he so wished. This, he stressed, was because of the overwhelming calls on him by many top army generals and some members of the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC) to step into Abacha's shoes.
"But I declined their request. It is not that I was afraid to become the Head of State, it is not that I cannot perform the functions of a Head of State. But I don't just want it," he told the Oputa commission.
He said after he declined, there ensued a race among the topshots in the Presidency to take over power. "Having realised that General Abacha had died, Mustapha has now been posted out, there was a serious confusion on the handing over. Whether it was agreed by man or not, it was the wish of God Almighty that I should play the role, which I played. Power, money and all that are not for me.
He continued: "My Lord, Alhaji Ismaila Gwarzo, former National Security Adviser is right here. He can tell you better. When General Abacha died, he was one of those I first contacted and brought them to Abuja. They never knew nothing. I brought all of them, everybody to the (presidential) Villa. This was the situation.
"At that time I have every opportunity to take-over this country (as Head of State). Everybody was interested to be there. It is a fact that I refused to take-over this country and that has been my destiny.
"I swore on oath to defend Abacha as his chief security officer and not as his successor. So many Nigerians told me to take-over power. I declined and because I refused, many Army Generals wanted to secure power. I have the heart of compartmentalism," Major Hamza revealed further.
He also expressed his disappointment over what he called media- sponsored campaign to dent his image by portraying him as a bad person. "All those tales written in the press were sponsored by those who failed to secure power soon after Abacha's death. My Lord, I don't want to talk now.
"I know many big men in the country are shivering by now with my presence here at the commission. This is a commission set up for the purpose of fact finding and reconciliation. The facts must be told. If there is any person who is supposed to go to the media to make noise, I should be the one.
"But for two years, I never granted anybody any interview," he said. Major Al-Mustapha was under cross-examination by a Lagos lawyer, Dr Tunji Braithwaite, counsel for Onagoruwa, when these startling revelations were made.
A Tell newsmagazine edition of December, 1999 was tendered before the commission in which Major Hamza was quoted as having confessed to the various atrocities allegedly perpetrated by his Strike Force during the Abacha regime. But he denied the contents of the magazine reports.
"For two years when I was incarcerated by the Abdulsalami Abubakar regime, following allegation that I planned a coup after Abacha's death, I refused to talk to the media." He stated.
On the issue of Lt-General Oladipo Diya and co, Al-Mustapha said he was the one who detailed an aircraft to the Jos prison after consulting with the Comptroller General of prisons to bring them to Abuja for safety after Abacha's death. Otherwise, they may have been killed.
Major Hamza lectured the commission briefly on the workings within the government (any government - military or civilian) when he said usually, there is often what he called "inner caucus." This, he further stressed, consists of those who actually contributed to the installation of the government in power.
He said Gen. Abubakar who later became head of state after Abacha's death did not belong to the "inner-caucus." He added that though it is not in all cases you have those who installed a government as members of the inner-caucus.
Diya and Major-Gen. Tajudeen Olanrewaju belonged to the inner-caucus but Major-Gen. Abdulkareen Adisa was not even though he took part in putting the Abacha government in place. On the "Diya coup," he said: "It was not his making but they were all scheming to taste power.
He denied knowing the killers of Onagoruwa's son. He also denied knowing the vehicle which the assassins used in the gruesome act.
Major Hamza used yesterday's opportunity to respond to allegations of torture made against him by Apostle Turner Ogboru, brother to Great Ogboru, alleged financier of the April 22, 1990 Orkar coup.
He accepted that Turner was beaten up by soldiers as is customary with what is usually done to any coup suspect. But, he denied giving the instruction. Major Hamza used the opportunity to dwell on the aborted Orkar coup which he affirmed was bloody and serious following the heavy casualty involved.
He denied ever "Stealing" the sum of $14,000 US from Turner's office as alleged in his (Turner's) petition to the commission. Major Hamza was led in evidence by his counsel, Mr. Nzelu Amobi, leading Mr. Peter Obi.
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