Hamza al-Mustapha
Encyclopedia
Hamza al-Mustapha was the Chief Security Officer of General Sani Abacha
, military head of state of Nigeria
from November 1993 to June 1998. After Abacha's death he was arrested and tried for murder and attempted murder. He has been held in prison since then as trials and appeals drag on.
He was involved in at least two investigations of coup attempts.
His conduct of interrogations brought him to the attention of Sani Abacha
.
When Abacha was Chief of Army (August 1985 – August 1990) al-Mustapha was his Aide-de-Camp.
Hamza al-Mustapha was appointed Chief Security Officer to the Head of State (CSOHS) with a Special Strike Force Unit during Abacha's military regime (17 November 1993 – 8 June 1998).
Other security outfits at the time were the Office of the National Security Adviser under Ismaila Gwarzo
, the Directorate of Military Intelligence, the State Security Service
and the National Intelligence Agency.
All of these units engaged in extrajudicial killings of people seen as threats to the regime.
Both Ibrahim Babangida
and Sani Abacha gave Captain (later Major) Hamza al-Mustapha exceptional power, considerably greater than other officers who were nominally his superior.
After being appointed Chief Security Officer, Al-Mustapha established a number of small security outfits recruited from the military and other security organizations, and trained in Israel and Korea.
Abacha's National Security Adviser Ismaila Gwarzo and al-Mustapha were said to be responsible for much of the "torture, killing and wanton looting" during Abacha's rule.
On the orders of Sani Abacha's wife Maryam
, al-Mustapha detained and tortured several women suspected to be Abacha's girlfriends.
As head of the State Security Service
(SSS) al-Mustapha was also said to be involved in drug trafficking, using diplomatic pouches to transport the drugs. His wife, an Arab in origin, coordinated a ring of traffickers in the Gulf states.
In October that year he appeared in court with Abacha's son Mohammed
, charged with the murder in June 1996 of Kudirat Abiola, wife of the presidential candidate M.K.O. Abiola (who had died in jail in July 1998).
At the trial the killer, Sergeant Barnabas Jabila, said he was obeying orders from his superior, al-Mustapha.
Al Mustapha and four others were also charged with a 1996 attempt to murder Alex Ibru
, publisher of The Guardian
and Abacha's Minister of Internal Affairs.
Another charge was laid against al-Mustapha for the attempted murder of former Naval chief Isaac Porbeni.
.
In 2007, there were appeals for al Mustapha's release by four newspapers and by former head of state Ibrahim Babangida
.
Eventually, after 12 years of imprisonment, trials and retrials, al-Mustapha and his co-defendants were acquitted of most charges on 21 December 2010.
The co-defendants were former Lagos State
Police Commissioner James Danbaba, former Zamfara State
military administrator Jibril Bala Yakubu and former head of the Aso Rock Anti-Riot Police Rabo Lawal.
However, al-Mustapha was still not cleared of the alleged murder of Kudirat Abiola, for which he was being tried separately.
In May 2011 there were rumors that al-Mustapha had been murdered at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons where he was being held, but these turned out to be untrue.
Later that month a judge set 31 May 2011 as the date for deciding whether to re-open the trial against al Mustapha.
The case was reopened in July 2011.
In the first two weeks of August, Hamza Al-Mustapha and his co-accused Lateef Sofolahan testified to their innocence of Abiola's killing. The court adjourned the case to 10 November 2011 when counsel to both parties were expected to file and adopt their written addresses.
After receiving written submissions and hearing the addresses by the counsel to both parties on that date, Justice Mojisola Dada fixed the date of 30 January 2011 for delivering a judgement.
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
, military head of state of Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
from November 1993 to June 1998. After Abacha's death he was arrested and tried for murder and attempted murder. He has been held in prison since then as trials and appeals drag on.
Military career
Al-Mustapha joined the army and was trained as an intelligence operative.He was involved in at least two investigations of coup attempts.
His conduct of interrogations brought him to the attention of Sani Abacha
Sani Abacha
General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian military leader and politician. A Kanuri from Borno by tribe, he was born and brought up in Kano, Nigeria. He was the de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998....
.
When Abacha was Chief of Army (August 1985 – August 1990) al-Mustapha was his Aide-de-Camp.
Hamza al-Mustapha was appointed Chief Security Officer to the Head of State (CSOHS) with a Special Strike Force Unit during Abacha's military regime (17 November 1993 – 8 June 1998).
Other security outfits at the time were the Office of the National Security Adviser under Ismaila Gwarzo
Ismaila Gwarzo
Aliyu Ismaila Gwarzo was the National Security Advisor of Nigerian military ruler Sani Abacha. He has been linked to theft of $2.45 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria.-Head of State Security Service:...
, the Directorate of Military Intelligence, the State Security Service
State Security Service
State Security Service is the primary domestic intelligence agency of Nigeria. It is primarily responsible for the gathering of intelligence within the country and for the protection of senior government officials, particularly the President and state governors. It is one of three successor...
and the National Intelligence Agency.
All of these units engaged in extrajudicial killings of people seen as threats to the regime.
Both Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
and Sani Abacha gave Captain (later Major) Hamza al-Mustapha exceptional power, considerably greater than other officers who were nominally his superior.
After being appointed Chief Security Officer, Al-Mustapha established a number of small security outfits recruited from the military and other security organizations, and trained in Israel and Korea.
Abacha's National Security Adviser Ismaila Gwarzo and al-Mustapha were said to be responsible for much of the "torture, killing and wanton looting" during Abacha's rule.
On the orders of Sani Abacha's wife Maryam
Maryam Abacha
Maryam Abacha is the widow of Sani Abacha, de facto President of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998.After the death of Sani Abacha in June 1998, Maryam Abacha attempted to leave Nigeria with suitcases filled with money. She was arrested, placed on 24-hour surveillance, and banned from leaving Nigeria...
, al-Mustapha detained and tortured several women suspected to be Abacha's girlfriends.
As head of the State Security Service
State Security Service
State Security Service is the primary domestic intelligence agency of Nigeria. It is primarily responsible for the gathering of intelligence within the country and for the protection of senior government officials, particularly the President and state governors. It is one of three successor...
(SSS) al-Mustapha was also said to be involved in drug trafficking, using diplomatic pouches to transport the drugs. His wife, an Arab in origin, coordinated a ring of traffickers in the Gulf states.
Arrest
Al-Mustapha was quickly removed from his job by the transitional regime established by General Abdulsalam Abubakar after Abacha's sudden death in June 1998.In October that year he appeared in court with Abacha's son Mohammed
Mohammed Abacha
Mohammed Abacha is the eldest surviving son of Nigeria's former military dictator, the late General Sani Abacha, and Maryam Abacha.-Money laundering:During his father's military rule, Mohammed Abacha was involved in looting the government....
, charged with the murder in June 1996 of Kudirat Abiola, wife of the presidential candidate M.K.O. Abiola (who had died in jail in July 1998).
At the trial the killer, Sergeant Barnabas Jabila, said he was obeying orders from his superior, al-Mustapha.
Al Mustapha and four others were also charged with a 1996 attempt to murder Alex Ibru
Alex Ibru
Alex Ibru was a Nigerian businessman, founder and publisher of The Guardian newspaper, who was Minister of Internal Affairs from 1993 to 1995 during the military regime of General Sani Abacha.-Background:...
, publisher of The Guardian
The Guardian (Nigeria)
The Guardian is an independent daily newspaper published in Nigeria by Guardian Newspapers Limited.The Guardian has been described as "Nigeria's most respected newspaper".-Foundation:...
and Abacha's Minister of Internal Affairs.
Another charge was laid against al-Mustapha for the attempted murder of former Naval chief Isaac Porbeni.
Detention
While the trials proceeded, al Mustapha was detained at the Kirikiri maximum security prisons. While imprisoned, on 1 April 2004 he was charged with being involved in a plot to overthrow the government. Allegedly he had conspired with others to shoot down the helicopter carrying President Olusegun Obasanjo using a surface-to-air missile that had been smuggled into the country from BeninBenin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
.
In 2007, there were appeals for al Mustapha's release by four newspapers and by former head of state Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
.
Eventually, after 12 years of imprisonment, trials and retrials, al-Mustapha and his co-defendants were acquitted of most charges on 21 December 2010.
The co-defendants were former Lagos State
Lagos State
Lagos State is an administrative division of Nigeria, located in the southwestern part of the country. The smallest in area of Nigeria's states, Lagos State is the most populous state in Nigeria and arguably the most economically important state of the country and west Africa, containing Lagos, the...
Police Commissioner James Danbaba, former Zamfara State
Zamfara State
Zamfara State is a state in northwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Gusau and its Governor is Abdul'aziz Abubakar Yari, a member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party . Until 1996 the area was part of Sokoto State....
military administrator Jibril Bala Yakubu and former head of the Aso Rock Anti-Riot Police Rabo Lawal.
However, al-Mustapha was still not cleared of the alleged murder of Kudirat Abiola, for which he was being tried separately.
In May 2011 there were rumors that al-Mustapha had been murdered at the Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons where he was being held, but these turned out to be untrue.
Later that month a judge set 31 May 2011 as the date for deciding whether to re-open the trial against al Mustapha.
The case was reopened in July 2011.
In the first two weeks of August, Hamza Al-Mustapha and his co-accused Lateef Sofolahan testified to their innocence of Abiola's killing. The court adjourned the case to 10 November 2011 when counsel to both parties were expected to file and adopt their written addresses.
After receiving written submissions and hearing the addresses by the counsel to both parties on that date, Justice Mojisola Dada fixed the date of 30 January 2011 for delivering a judgement.