AL-MUSTAPHA STILL IN SERVICE - ARMY

The Nigerian Army has disclosed that the former chief security officer (CSO) to the late Gen. Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, is still in the service of the armed forces.

The army authorities made this known through the chief of staff in the Directorate of Army Public Relations, Col. John Agim, during a press briefing by the Joint Security Services Public Information Committee at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja yesterday.

Al-Mustapha, along with others, was accused of the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola on June 4, 1996. While a Lagos high court sentenced him and his co-accused to death on January 30, 2012, the Court of Appeal in Lagos on Friday upturned the death sentence. The ex-CSO regained his freedom after 15 years of incarceration. He was given a tumultuous welcome in Kano on Sunday.

Responding to a question on the fate of Al-Mustapha during the interactive session with journalists, Agim, who represented the army director of information, Brigadier-General Attahiru Ibrahim, said: “With regards to al-Mustapha’s release, well, I want to confirm that he is still in the Army.”

He added that Al-Mustapha’s case will be handled by the Army authorities “administratively” in line with the harmonised terms and conditions of military service.

Others in attendance at the briefing were the director of defence information, Brigadier-General Chris Olukolade, spokespersons of the Nigerian Air Force, Navy, Police, State Security Service, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas, Navy Commodore Kabir Aliyu, CSP Frank Mba and Marilyn Ogar respectively.

Source: Leadership