Abbas Yushau Yusuf
At the twilight of late General Sani Abacha’s Administration which span for 5 years from November 17 1993 to June 8, 1998, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha has become a Household name not only in Nigeria but the African continent in general.
Major Hamza Al-Mustapha was the Chief Security Officer to the fearless Nigerian Head Of State, Late General Sani Abacha, the Intelligent Officer narrated many stories that were seen as time bomb after his arrest and detention by Abacha’s successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
The Bombshell made by Major Hamza Al-Mustapha was during the sitting of the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission chaired by late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa, Known as the Oputa Panel.
‘’Upon all those shoulders democracy is resting upon today in Nigeria lies little somewhere in my shoulder” Hamza Almustapha told Oputa panel in the year 2001 public hearing of alleged Human rights violations by the military.
But whenever major Hamza Al-Mustapha is making mind-boggling narrations, the audience is mostly thrown into suspense, of how the Army Major was tantalizing his listeners at the beaming of Nigerian Television Authority live cameras.
Major Hamza also, in one of his prison notes said when he learned of General Abacha’s death on the 8th of June 1998, he laid down closer to his body and shouted three times by saying General Abacha can I touch you, when there was no response, the major called the Kano born chief physician to late General Sani Abacha and longest-serving Chief Physician to five Nigerian leaders, that is Professor Sadiq Wali.
It was when Professor Sadiq Wali gave relevant Injection to late General Sani Abacha, he learned of the Head of state’s death, then informed Major Hamza Al-Mustapha.
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Major Hamza was very cautious about how to handle the situation at hand because at that time Nigeria has no leader and the sensitivity of the matter requires serious caution.
Therefore Major Hamza Al-Mustapha deployed his military intelligence knowledge, because according to various versions some powerful military officers may take the advantage of Abacha’s death and violently overthrow the government before a peaceful transfer of power.
In the impending scenario, Major Almustapha phoned top provisional ruling council Generals that General Sani Abacha is calling them for a meeting, the generals who were then in line of succession were Abdulsalami Abubakar Chief of Defence Staff, Ishaya Risi Bamaiyi, Chief of Army Staff, and other top PRC members like Lt-General Jerry Timbut Useni, Lt-General Balarabe Haladu, and Lt General Oladipo Diya.
But General Diya was already in jail at the time of General Sani Abacha’s death, because he was arrested over an attempted coup to overthrow Abacha in December 1997.
But Almustapha also narrated that General Jeremiah Useni should not think of ruling Nigeria because he was already a suspect, because few hours to the death of General Abacha they were seen together.
While General Balarabe Haladu was hospitalized in Germany following an injury he sustained in Kano.
So the two General’s that were on the line to succeed General Abacha were the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Chief of Army Staff Major General Ishaya Bamaiyi.
So with the absence of the Chief of General Staff, Lt-Gen Oladipo Diya who was in the Gulag, the next in command at the military highest ruling body was General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the chief of defense staff, so destiny befall on General Abubakar and was appointed by the PRC to step in the shoes of General Sani Abacha.
Therefore when General Abdulsalami Abubakar stabilized, he decided to make Vice –Admiral Mike Okhai Akhigbe as the New Chief of General Staff and brought in former NDA commandant Air Vice Marshal Al-Ameen Daggash as his new chief of Defence Staff.
After finishing everything where major Hamza Almustapha prepares the presidential villa for General Abdulsalami Abubakar for his occupation from the Defence House, the young Army Major around late 1998 was arrested and thrown into jail.
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Al-Mustapha was released on July 13th, 2013 after serving fifteen years in jail, he was released during the administration of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
When he visited Kano State Government House during the time of Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha said as if he was dreaming and pronounced that he forgive all those that contributed to his travails.
