Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd), former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has framed the Supreme Court’s decision ending his prosecution over the murder of Kudirat Abiola as a moment for forgiveness, closure and renewed commitment to Nigeria.
Reacting for the first time to the judgment of January 22, which terminated a case that spanned the Lagos High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court over 28 years, Al-Mustapha said the ruling affirmed his innocence and allowed him to move forward without resentment.
He said he bore no grudge against any individual or institution and thanked the Federal Government for not interfering with the judicial process throughout the long trial.
In a statement issued at the weekend, Al-Mustapha expressed gratitude to his family, Nigerians and the judiciary for standing by him during what he described as “a harrowing, unforgettable and traumatic journey that began like a joke and which has finally ended on a very happy note.”
“My battle with the forces of darkness started in 1998 when I, along with others, was arrested and arraigned on trumped-up charges orchestrated by those who decided not only to blackmail me, but also to get rid of me for reasons best known to them,” he said.
“Of course, it would be an understatement to say that the 28 years of trial that followed were enjoyable. But to the glory of Almighty Allah, all ended well at the Supreme Court of Nigeria.”
Al-Mustapha said the verdict had enabled him to put the past behind him. “As a good and patriotic Nigerian, I have to put all that happened behind me, gear up and get ready to move on with my life without grudges against any individual or institution,” he said.
He added: “The Supreme Court verdict has vindicated me and proved my innocence; so what more do I ask Almighty Allah for than the heart to forgive all those who masterminded my almost three-decade ordeal. As a Muslim, I have forgiven them all.”
He said he was ready to return to public life in a constructive way. “I am ready now to contribute my own quota to the well-being, development and advancement of Nigeria,” he said.
Al-Mustapha paid tribute to the Justices of the Supreme Court, saying: “To the eminent and erudite Justices at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, I remain eternally effusive in my gratitude for your painstaking and just judgment. I thank you so much for living up to expectations as the last hope of the common and defenceless man.”
He also thanked Nigerians who supported him during the trial, as well as members of his family who, he said, suffered harassment. “I am grateful to my parents, who suffered from wanton harassment by forces bent on seeing my end. My wife and children, who also suffered deliberate harassment, deserve commendation for standing firm, even in the face of all threats,” he said.
He acknowledged the experiences of his siblings, legal team and associates, noting that his counsel faced “physical attacks, illegal break-ins and burglary of their chambers,” while friends endured “illegal searches and abuses.”
On a sombre note, Al-Mustapha remembered journalists and others who lost their lives or were injured while covering the trial. “On a sad note, however, I remember all those who paid the supreme price and other patriots who sustained life-threatening injuries, especially from all the geo-political zones of Nigeria, in the course of covering my court trial,” he said.
“I sympathise with their family members and other loved ones. They are heroes, and their labours shall not be in vain.”
He concluded by urging Nigerians to move beyond bitterness. He enjoined citizens to eschew hatred and work together in unity “to ensure that Nigeria becomes the country of our lofty dreams for the sake of posterity.”
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