The last may not have been heard on the release of the former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late Gen. Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, as there appears to be some ripple effects of the development, both politically and security-wise. This is the submission of the umbrella body of northern political elites, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), which has lamented that, with the freedom of Al-Mustapha, there may be grave consequences for some power blocs in the region.
In the same vein, the Sunday Newswatch exclusively gathered that military authorities in the country are presently at crossroads, owing to a division within the rank and file as to the status of the former CSO to the late dark-goggled ruler. Speaking with Sunday Newswatch on the likely consequences of Al-Mustapha’s release, a member of the ACF National Executive Committee (NEC), Mohammed Abdulrahman, said, though Al-Mustpaha was freed through a court process, his liberation has grave political implications for the North, adding that some of those vying for political seats in 2015 in the region should jettison the idea.
ACF’s argument, as expressed by Abdulrahman, is that Al-Mustapha’s freedom may have been borne out of political calculations by those in power. He implied that the freed soldier was released to achieve political gain, meant to alter the northern calculation and checkmate those jostling to run against President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. Abdulrahman said, “Al-Mustapha’s release has political implications, because the northern political power institution is going to witness some elements of serious ripples. “You know that the centre of all this Boko Haram issue is Yobe State. When it started, it began in Yobe State and Al-Mustapha is from Yobe State; that is one.
“Secondly, the political players in the North will now begin to check themselves. One thing I can tell you is that his release is going to keep a lot of political gladiators from the northern establishment in check. Because, while some of us were appealing that they should release Al-Mustapha, most of these people kept their mouths shut and we accused them of complicity on his continuous detention.” Abdulrahman implied in his chat with Sunday Newswatch that the soldier may be rooting for some of those people, who were against his freedom and that may help to facilitate the job of the think-tank in Aso Rock, the seat of the Federal Government.
The ACF leader was emphatic that those in the corridors of power had made their calculations and “that is why those that wanted the former CSO to rot in detention will now need to be careful. “I believe there are two things here: if the release is by Jonathan’s calculation, I have decided not to say anything about it because as it stands, his release is supposed to have gone through the normal judicial process and I would address myself on that track. “The judicial process that released Al-Mustapha was quite prompt, effective and responsible; you don’t keep a man in jail for 14 years, trying him.”
“This man was never seen at the scene of the death of Kudirat Abiola and he was not caught with a smoking gun, so all the sentences that he could ever have, if he was ever found guilty, he had served it already in jail but he was never found guilty.” On the earlier death sentence passed on Al-Mustapha, he said, “let me say that the sentence was a little bit out of line with judicial norm, and that is why they appealed it. It was more of a sentence based on social upheavals and playing to the gallery because we all know that the whole issue was political.
“It is a fallout from the Abiola political crisis. Why is it that the military rushed to say that Al-Mustapha is still in the Army? They want to remove the situation from the realm of public view and public judgment. “What this means is that a lot of people in the military establishment are thinking they need to carry out a fire brigade action to save the face of some actors in the event that kept Al-Mustapha in detention for over 14 years.”
“They should watch their backs, I mean these northern political gladiators who probably had complicity in the continuous detention of Al-Mustapha. Like what I said when Al-Mustapha was sentenced to death; I told Jonathan then that he should not allow Al-Mustapha to die, because it would be seen as a conspiracy between Jonathan, the military and the political establishment in the country. He continued: “In the northern establishment, we have both the military political establishment and the civil political establishment, so we told him then that he should not allow the man to die, that he should release him.
“If Al-Mustapha should be there until another president comes in, let it be so, let the other president look for what to do about the situation. But if he has to do anything at all, let him release Al-Mustapha”. Furthermore, on the military status of Al-Mustapha, Sunday Newswatch gathered that brouhaha is brewing within the Army, which may rattle the defence of the nation, if the situation is not carefully handled. Despite the initial confirmation by military authorities that Al-Mustapha would be reabsorbed into the Nigerian Army, the Sunday Newswatch can reveal that the situation is not all rosy and that Al-Mustapha may never wear the national colour again.
Informed sources within the military told the Sunday Newswatch that the leadership of the Army is at crossroads and undecided on how to go about Al-Mustapha’s reinstatement, for fear of a ripple effect that may accompany such an action. Investigations showed that the top military hierarchy in Abuja met at the Army Headquarters few days ago after the judgment was delivered and resolved to tread carefully on the matter. Insiders disclosed that it was based on the meeting that the military made its position known early in the week, when it was announced that Al-Mustapha was still a serving Army personnel.
However, top officials within the military circle have expressed doubts on the matter, hinging their position on the fact that many officers who became seniors to the Major while he was incarcerated would not feel safe and comfortable working with him, since they were junior to him in rank before his arrest. It was gathered that an administrative committee had been set-up to determine the fate of the officer and to ascertain the actual backlog of salaries and allowances due to him from the Army.
According to sources, the committee was mandated to submit its report within two weeks to enable the Army draw the final curtain on the matter. One of the top military sources that spoke with Sunday Newswatch said: “This is certainly a defining period and a moment of truth.” “Whatever decisions they take on this matter would be subject to various interpretations depending on which side of the coin the person is on,” another officer confided in Sunday Newswatch.
A few days after the Court of Appeal in Lagos discharged and acquitted Major Al-Mustapha over alleged involvement in the murder of Kudirat Abiola, on June 4, 1996, Colonel John Agim, Chief of Staff in the Directorate of the Army Public Relations, told reporters: “With regards to Al-Mustapha’s release, I want to confirm that he is still in the army. The case is going to be handled by the army administratively in line with the harmonised terms and conditions of service.”
Since that statement was made, controversies had continued to trail widespread reports that Al-Mustapha had most likely been promoted to the rank of a Brigadier-General even while he was in detention. The report in the social media prompted the Army to issue a rebuttal in a statement signed by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Ibrahim Attahiru, who stated that the publications were untrue. Attahiru reaffirmed that issues affecting Al-Mustapha would be handled according to laid-down administrative rules and regulations guiding the Armed Forces Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service.
Journalists have been keeping vigil at the Defence Headquarters since Monday when it was rumoured that Al-Mustapha would report to the Army Headquarters but he has not visited yet. Commenting on whether the Army officer should be reabsorbed into Service, a security expert, Chief Wilson Esangbedo, said in an interview that it would be difficult for the Nigerian Army to now promote or retain Major Hamza Al-Mustapha in the service, having been absent for a very long time from duty.
Esangbedo, who is Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Institute for Industrial Security, remarked that the military authorities would be very careful not to be tainted by the controversies surrounding the military officer. “The Army is a professional body, and I know that it would like to use administrative procedures to resolve this matter but whichever way it goes, I state categorically that Major Hamza Al-Mustapha will not be retained in the service, as that would violate extant administrative rules and regulations guiding the Armed Forces.”
Source: Sunday Newswatch
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