After a long-delayed trial, a Nigerian court Monday sentenced a former aide to late dictator Sani Abacha to death by hanging over the 1996 murder of the wife of a presidential candidate. Whoa! Betcha his family will be moving some big money out of the country with a little help from random email contacts...
Lagos high court judge Judge Mojisola Dada ruled that Army Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, chief security aide to Abacha, was guilty of conspiracy and murder of Kudiratu Abiola, the wife of late presidential candidate Moshood Abiola.
An aide to Abiola, Lateef Sofolahan, was found guilty of the same charges and also sentenced to death by hanging after the trial which had been repeatedly delayed since 1999. Nigeria has not officially carried out a death penalty in some 15 years.
Kudiratu Abiola was rubbed out on June 4, 1996 in Lagos. Her husband was the presumed winner of 1993 presidential elections, which were later annulled, prompting unprecedented protests in Nigeria.
The judge said that evidence had been manifestedly heavy that both men killed Kudiratu Abiola. He said: "In view of this, they are guilty of conspiracy and murder. The prosecution has proved its case beyond all reasonable doubt. In view of this, they should be hanged."
The annulment of the 1993 elections helped pave the way for Abacha to rise to power. He ruled the country from November 1993 to July 1998, when he died, with iron fist. Al-Mustapha was described as his powerful chief security officer.
Abiola, a wealthy businessman and presidential candidate, was jugged in 1994 after he challenged the military's decision to annul the vote. He died in jail a month after Abacha's death in circumstances yet to be clarified.
Abacha had allegedly set up a so-called "strike force" which hunted down opponents of the regime, a number of whom were either rubbed out or jugged, while some decamped the country.