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Al-Mustapha: My Freedom is Victory for Democracy

Major Hamza Al-Mustapha

 

Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Tuesday described his release from prison as a victory for democracy.

Speaking shortly after a visit to an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, in Kaduna, Al-Mustapha said his freedom was also a victory for the judiciary.

The former CSO, who was sentenced to death for the murder of the wife of the late Chief M. K. O. Abiola, Kudirat, but set free following an appeal court judgment, told journalists in an interview shortly after the visit  that he had forgiven those who persecuted him unjustly.
Al-Mustapha, who said he was not disposed to any interview, said: “I was sentenced to death but Allah turned it around because I spoke the truth and stood by it, which caused my incarceration.”

While describing Gumi as his elder brother and leader, he added that Gumi’s father was his grandfather.
“So, I am at home. I have been here as a child and today the fact that I'm back after being released, if I don't come nothing is complete. May God bless Nigeria and Nigerians. May justice prevail at all given time and peace to all. God will protect and sustain Nigeria,” he said.

Earlier, Gumi had said he was happy to receive Al-Mustapha back home, urging him to forgive all those who had wronged him, as what happened was an act of God.

“It is a very happy day for us today, everybody is happy.  It is a big plus for democracy and the judiciary too that we are coming of age that no innocent person should be convicted for any other reason. So, we are very happy for him that he came here and he met us. We thank him too and pray that Allah will bring peace to the nation. We want everybody to live a peaceful co-existence.

“My advice to him is that he should take it as a decree from Allah that he would spend such years in incarceration and that he should not harbour grudges against anybody because nobody could have harmed him if Allah had not destined that.
“So, let him be patient about that and treat everybody as equals. He has the liberty not to forgive them but I am asking him to forgive whoever had done this to him,” the cleric stated.

Meanwhile, the former CSO, who had earlier paid a similar visit to the Emir of Zaria, Alhaji Shehu Idris, before coming to Kaduna, also met with members of the Arewa Youths Forum (AYF) in Kaduna.

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