ADE OBISESAN, Lagos | Monday
NIGERIANS are eagerly awaiting promised revelations this week about the circumstances surrounding the 1998 death of detained millionaire politician Moshood Abiola.
Major Hamza al-Mustapha, a close security aide to the late dictator Sani Abacha, last week told a government panel which is hearing allegations of human rights violations that he would reveal how Abiola was murdered by unnamed “powers that be.”
Abiola, who was the presumed winner of a 1993 presidential election annulled by the military, died on July 7, 1998, during talks with US and Nigerian officials on the country’s transition to democracy one month after Abacha died of a heart attack.
The transitional military authorities had not ordered Abiola’s release from prison, where he had languished since 1994 when he maintained his claim to be the legitimate president and was arrested and charged with treason.
The US officials present at Abiola’s death said there was no evidence of foul play, and an international team of pathologists, picked by the Abiola family, concluded that his death was the result of a heart attack brought on by natural causes.
However, many Nigerians believe it was convenient to many in power that Abiola died when he did and believe he was murdered.
Al-Mustapha told the fact-finding panel last week that powerful figures had ordered the death of the detained Abiola.
“The powers that be then insisted that since Abacha was dead, Abiola should also die,” Al-Mustapha said. “He was killed.”
Abiola’s physician, Ore Falomo, is also expected to testify. Falomo was denied access to Abiola for 18 months and warned that his patient’s health was failing.
On Saturday, Al-Mustapha’s younger brother alleged that he had received death threats.
At a news conference in the northern city of Kano, Hadi al-Mustapha said he had received 20 phone calls within 24 hours from retired generals and government officials who served under Abacha and his successor General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
He did not disclose their identities.
The calls warned “of their resolve to assassinate Al-Mustapha and wipe out the entire family if he goes ahead with testimony he promised to make on how Abiola died,” he said, adding: “From these phone calls, I have no doubt that these people mean business.” – AFP