MUSTAPHA Ali Sheriff is one of the most eligible bachelors in the northern part of the country. Mustapha is the son of the former Borno State governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, popularly called SAS. Sources said the younger Ali Sheriff has not let his father’s fame and fortune go to his head.
In his early 20s, Mustapha who runs the Regional Transport Company (RTC) is an enthusiastic polo player.
Two workers of Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN) and three others were yesterday ordered to be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja for alleged N1.358 billion theft.
Their arraignment and trial before Justice Kudirat Jose was stalled, following the absence of a key witness and one of the defendants.
The MTN workers are Victor Akintunde, 41 and Gani Mustapha, 46, while the others are Mutairu Babatunde, Prima Vera Engineering and Construction Limited and Mabo Dredging Limited.
The third defendant, Mutairu Babatunde, was absent in court.
The EFCC preferred a 17-count of conspiracy, stealing, forgery and issuance of dud cheque against the defendants.
EFCC counsel Emmanuel Jackson told the court that the defendants committed the offences with the intent to defraud.
Jackson alleged that Akintunde, Mustapha and Babatunde with their companies – Prima Vera Engineering and Construction Limited and Mabo Deredging Limited – allegedly conspired to steal N127 million, property of MTN Employees’ Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society (MEMCOS).
Jackson also alleged that the defendants stole N50 million belonging to the cooperative society, adding that the money was fraudulently collected as a deposit for the land they bought from Mutairu Baba Egbe Family on behalf of the society.
The prosecutor alleged that the accused conspired to steal N77 million, property of MEMCOS, being outstanding refund for five hectares, of the 13 hectares bought for the society from the Mutairu Baba Egbe Family on the excuse that the land owners had a defective title.
Jackson said Babatunde and Primavera Engineering and Construction Limited stole N516.697 million, property of MEMCOS.
The prosecution claimed that the defendant fraudulently claimed he used the money to compensate early settlers in 26 hectares of land amounting to 321 plots bought for the society from the Jagun Opolu family.
The EFCC counsel, Emmanuel Jackson, told the court that the defendants committed the alleged offence on April 8, 2008.
The commission also alleged that the defendants, on August 3, 2009, stole N515.697 million, property of MEMCOS, which they fraudulently converted through Mabo Dredging Limited.
According to the counsel, the defendants stole N592.820 million from MEMCOS under false pretence.
He added that the money represented the payment to Lagos State government for documentation and the governor’s consent.
The defendants on April 25, 2008, he alleged, also obtained N990 million under the pretence that the money was for the payment of 13 hectares at Okun Ajah Community.
The third, fourth and fifth defendants were also alleged to have issued a First Bank cheque with N427 million in favour of MEMCOS but the cheque was reportedly dishonoured when it was presented at the bank for lack of insufficient fund in the account.
The judge fixed February 27 for the arraignment of the defendants.
For Major Hamzat Al-Mustapha, accused of killing Alhaja Kudirat Abiola in 1996, it was a long tortuous route to freedom, reports Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu.
The Court of Appeal, Lagos, on Friday, July 12, 2013, discharged and acquitted Maj. Hamza al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha; and his co-accused, Lateef Shofolahan of conspiracy to the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.
They were initially arraigned on a four-count charge of conspiracy and involvement in the 1996 murder of Kudirat Abiola, wife of the deceased winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola, along the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.
On January 30, 2012, they were found gulty by Justice Mojisola Dada and accordingly convicted and sentenced to death by hanging.
But the duo of al-Mustapha and Shofolahan had appealed against the judgment. So, the drama continued until last Friday, when they finally breathed free air.
Justice Rita Pemu, who read the lead judgment, supported by two other judges, Aminat Augie and Fatimah Akinbanmi, said the case was not properly investigated and that prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The prosecution listed 12 potential witnesses but managed to call only four witnesses. The first prosecution witness was Dr Ore Falomo, the second is Sergeant Barnabas Jabila Mshiela aka Sergeant Rogers. The third one is Dagama Katako, while a retired police officer, Ahmed Fari Yusuf is the fourth witness.
The court said further that the lower court did not evaluate properly the evidence brought before it.
Based on the evidence before the court, the learned judges said there was nothing linking Al Mustapha with the killing of Kudirat Abiola as he was not the one that pulled the trigger that killed Kudirat Abiola.
They added further that the court was not interested in the political undertone of the case and consequently discharged and acquitted Al- Mustapha and Alhaji Lateef Sofolahan, the late Kudirat’s aide.
This statement notwistanding the news added a new vista to the robust political theatre during the week.
Since the case was first instituted, after the death of Abacha, it has always been viewed, by some, more as a political case than a straight forward case of murder.
As a result, the case has been full of drama and twists. The last hearing before Friday’s judgment was not without the usual intrigues. That day, an Appeal Court judge announced his withdrawal from the case.
The judge, Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, told parties in the suit that he could only assist them in recording a further date for arguments. He said he would not participate in hearing the main appeal, insisting his reasons were personal.
The judge who adjourned the case till June 10, however, granted two applications filed by Mr. Pedro Lawal (SAN) and Mr. Olalekan Ojo, Counsel to the State government and Sofolahan, respectively.
Because of the political relevance of the late Kudirat Abiola, who died at the forefront of the political struggle to validate the mandate given her husband, MKO Abiola, on June 12 Presidential election, interest groups have paid particular attention to the outcome of the case. As a result, the trial has witnessed unusual twists.
But by far the most sensational aspects of the long trial was recorded during the Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission, set up by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2000 and chaired by Justice Chukwudifu Oputa. That ‘trial’, which was televised live, enabled Mustapha and the other accused to speak openly. It turned out to be a live triller as the accused Abacha’s most dreaded aide, freely ave account of Abiola’s death, the alleged murder of his boss, Abacha, how 30 generals escaped death among other highly explosive political secrets during the tyrannical years f military rule.
Also, in August 2011, Mustapha continued the drama when he tendered tape on Bola Ige and Abraham Adesanya’s visit to Aso Rock during the Abiola saga.
For its sheer intrigues and twists, the Mustapha case would be remembered as one of Nigeria’s most sensational political cases in recent time.