Hamza Al-Mustapha, chief security officer to Sani Abacha, the late military dictator, has said that he would soon reveal the details of what killed Abacha and MKO Abiola, self-acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 election.
Al-Mustapha at a press conference in Lagos on Monday stated that accurate information would be revealed in his memoirs, which is not yet out.
Abacha died on June 8, 1998, while Abiola died exactly a day to the first month anniversary of the dictator’s death.
Al-Mustapha said: “What killed Abacha is exactly what killed MKO Abiola. But I would reveal that after my court case, still at the Supreme Court. I would publish a book which has three volumes— the Mustapha’s Memoirs, which will tell what happened under Abacha and how he died”.
The retired colonel, who regained freedom three years ago after spending 12 years in detention over the death of Kudirat, Abiola’s wife, said he was innocent of the charges filed against him.
Mustapha said he had not recovered from the trauma of detention and torture, narrating what he went through during that dark period of his life.
“I am just recuperating from what I went through. I went through punishment and torture. I was in chains. I was not allowed to see a doctor, family and lawyer. There was no light in my cell. I only wore my singlet, which was full of blood. You sighted food and you are denied. I was treated like an animal.”
He described Abacha as an honest man, saying those his boss offended while in power were behind reports of the loots allegedly traced to the late dictator.
Al-Mustapha also denied the allegation that he assisted Abacha to stash money in foreign accounts.
“The proper facts about the Abacha loot are not known. Where was the money from? What was it meant for? How was it taken out? Who kept the money there? Abacha was not leaving Nigeria at a later time. His journeys were within Africa because the toes he had stepped upon were bent on removing him,” he said.
“In November 1998, I told the government to prosecute me, if I have any bank account than my salary account with the Bank of the North.”