Two of the most dangerous military assassins who served in the fearful days of the late generals Sani Abacha and Ibrahim Babangida may soon be released if President Umaru Yar'Adua listens to the plea of Babangida, who said the suspected officers have served enough time.
General Babangida is using his quiet civil life to agitate for some of his loyal soldiers, asking for the release of the former Chief Security Officer to late General Sani Abacha, Hamza Al-Mustapha, and others who are on trial for an alleged plot to overthrow the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
General Babangida made this call in Minna while celebrating his 66th birthday at his home. Babangida said Al-Mustapha and others had been in detention for too long and appealed to the Federal Government to hasten their release.
"I am joining other well-meaning Nigerians to appeal for the release of, Al-Mustapha, Bamaiyi and others for the peace and development of the nation at large."
The former President also called on Nigerians to continue to work together for the peace, development and improvement of the nation’s economy.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Progr-essive Alliance (PPA), Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu who was also present at the birthday celebration described the celebrant as “a great man, a brave soldier, an amiable man, a gentle man and a man, who has the interest of Nigeria at heart.”
Al-Mustapha is standing trial along with Lt. Col. Mohammed Umar Adeka and Onwuchekwa Okorie, over an alleged plot to overthrow the Obasanjo administration. The Fed-eral Government has constantly opposed applications for bail by Al-Mustapha and the other accused.
The Al-Mustapha case has since 1998, when he was arrested for the attempted murgder of the publisher of the Guardian, Alex Ibru, gone through three judges but none of them was been able to pass judgement on the charges brought against him. Justice Ade Alabi, former Chief Judge of Lagos State, who handled the case before it was handed over to Justice Oyewole, was openly insulted in court by the accused persons during court proceedings.
He was also alleged to have demanded bribe from the accused persons through their counsel. Justice Alabi then handed over the case to the then administrative judge, to be reassigned to another judge after he was accused of bias.
In 2003, the matter was reassigned to Justice Oyewole. Initially, the accused persons refused to take their plea but eventually the case proceeded, though not without series of interlocutory motions and applications. Lagos Attorney General, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who was personally prosecuting the case, was to later, perhaps out of frustration, leave it for his juniors to handle.
Late in 2005, during proceedings in court, all the accused persons staged a walkout on the judge, protesting what they called unfair trial, as they alleged that the Justice Oyewole was fond of throwing out their applications. They called on the judge to hands off the case, on grounds of bias.
