Abacha & Abiola died through same source, which I will reveal soon – Al-Mustapha

The former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha has on Monday said he would soon reveal how his boss and the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola, died.Mustapha said Abacha’s and Abiola’s deaths were from same source, saying he would make the comprehensive revelation in his new book, Mustapha’s Memoirs. He said the book is still in the works.

Al-Mustapha, who addressed journalists in Lagos on Sunday on a number of issues relating to his 15-year travails in detention, said Abiola and Abacha were very good friends before some fifth columnists caused disaffection between them.

He said: "For instance, when Chief M.K.O. Abiola was in prison, many notable Nigerians visited him. They will visit him in the morning and when they come back to the Villa in the evening to see Abacha, they would say a different thing entirely.

"Unknown to these notable Nigerians, particularly notable Yoruba personalities, who visited Abiola, their visits were recorded on video. I did the video recording without their knowledge. These people would visit Abiola and come back to tell government a different thing about him. These same people would still go and tell Abiola a different thing about government. They are on video.

"The agencies of government have these videos evidence. These same people told M.K.O. Abiola never to accept any compromise or negotiations. They advised him never to come back home without his mandate. All these things are on video. Of all the Yoruba leaders, only Oba Tejuosho told M.K.O. Abiola the truth: to accept the conditional bail and go home. Only Oba Tejuosho told M.K.O. Abiola that Abacha was his friend, urging him to reconcile with Abacha who was ready for reconciliation.

"It was Oba Tejuosho who told M.K.O. Abiola that he still had the goodwill and would win if he re-contests after Abacha. What killed Abacha is 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."