- Chief Ayo Opadokun challenges Al-Mustapha to produce the so-called tape he claimed to have of him and other NADECO leaders collecting bribe
- He claims that he (Opadokun) and other NADECO members who met with Abdulsalam Abubakar told him that the way forward was to release MKO Abiola and allow him (Abiola) to form a government of national unity
- He laments the fact that Al-Mustapha was using his false allegations to gain cheap popularity
Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the ex-chief security officer (CSO) to former Head of State late General Sani Abacha, has been given a seven-day ultimatum to retract his comment against some Yoruba leaders or face a libel suit.
The ultimatum was issued by the former leader of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) Chief Ayo Opadokun in reaction to Al-Mustapha's comment that he (Opadokun) and other Yoruba leaders were bribed by the killers of MKO Abiola.
While questioning the mental state of the former CSO, Opadokun said Al-Mustapha “may have been mentally affected by his long stay in prison while undergoing trial for the murder of late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola”.
According to reports, Opadokun made this comment in Lagos in a chat with newsmen over the issue.
NAIJ.com notes that the former NADECO boss challenged Al-Mustapha to produce the tape he said he had as evidence that he and others collected money.
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According to Opadokun, he will set the records straight against Al-Mustapha’s attempt to malign his character and that of notable and patriotic leaders of NADECO, some of whom were now late.
He accused Al-Mustapha of trying to make himself look clean by rubbishing the images of credible Yoruba leaders.
He stated: “I was incarcerated in Ikoyi prisons for 24 calendar months under late General Sani Abacha for my political views and leanings, only to be released by General Abdulsalami Abubakar after Abacha’s death.
“Upon my release, my leader and chairman of NADECO, late Pa Abraham Adesanya informed me that the new administration of Abdulsalami Abukakar was meeting with various groups across the country on the way forward and has requested a meeting with the leadership of NADECO, of which I was chosen to be a member of the team.
”The members were late Pa Abraham Adesanya, late chief Francis Okpozo, Arthur Nwankwo, Bola Ige and Ayo Opadokun.”
According to him, the team met with the head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar in the villa eight days after the death of General Abacha.
Also at the meeting were Abubakar’s chief of staff and deputy Commodore Mike Okhai Akhigbe alongside then Colonel Leo Ajiborisa, the staff officer to the head of state, who took the minutes of the meeting.
According to Opadokun’s recollection of the event, the team told the head of state that the only way forward was for MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential election to be released from detention and allowed to form a Government of National Unity (GNU) and thereafter convoke a Sovereign National Conference (SNC).
Opadokun stated: “After the conclusion of the meeting, we were driven straight from the villa to the airport.”
Opadokun lamented that by his false allegations, Al-Mustapha who should have been consigned to the dustbin of history because of the role he played in holding the country hostage, was now being given cheap popularity in the media.
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NAIJ.com previously reported that former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late head of state General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, revealed that some Yoruba leaders know who really killed late Moshood Abiola.
Al-Mustapha, who was only released from detention some months ago over allegation of being behind the death of Kudirat, the wife of Abiola, categorically said some Yoruba leaders, led by Chief Ayo Opadokun, knew what killed the alleged winner of the election.
Watch this NAIJ.com TV video of a man calling for mass burial for all Nigerian leaders
