By our reporter 22.1.2026
Nigeria’s Supreme Court Thursday tossed out the murder case against Major Hamza Al-Mustapha rtd a former Chief Security Officer, to former Military Head of State, late General Sani Abacha, (rtd) brought before it.
Al Mustapha was alleged to have ordered the murder of Kudirat Abiola, the wife of late businessman and politician Chief MKO Abiola on June 4, 1996 in Lagos State.
A Lagos High Court presided over by Justice Moji Dada sentenced Al Mustapha and co-accused Mohammed Abacha and Lateef Shofolahan to death by hanging on January 30, 2012.
But Al Mustapha appealed the ruling at the Court of Appeal and on July 12, 2013 he and the other accused persons were discharged and acquitted.
Lagos State approached the Supreme Court to uphold the judgement of the Lagos High Court and since 2014, has slowed walked the process of presenting its case before the Supreme Court.
Lagos State was slated to re-open the trial at Supreme Court, but made no legal representation, while no process was filed since 2014 when the order to re-open the case was granted in its favour.
The Supreme Court unanimously agreed that Lagos State has lost interest in the matter and consequently abandoned it.
According to the Supreme Court, nine years was long enough for the appellant to have filed notice of appeal and the brief of appeal in the matter.
Besides, the Court expressed disgust that no legal representation was made by the Lagos state government while no information was made available to the Court and the respondent despite being served with hearing notice since 2020.
Kudirat Abiola was allegedly killed by late General Abacha’s hit squad led by an army officer Barnabas Jabila Mshiela better known as Sergeant Rogers.
It was his confession to the crime at the Oputa Human Rights Violation Panel in 2000, that led to the prosection of Al Mustapha whom he alleged ordered the killing of Kudirat Abiola, Alex Ibru, Alfred Rewane and Abraham Adesanya.
This was during the crisis that engulfed the nation following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 elections by military president Ibrahim Babaginda.