News Report: Late General Abacha's Chief Security Officer Would Not Be Released From Prison Unless.....

Al-Mustapher In One Of His Court Appearances

chidi opara reports' investigation have revealed that late Sani Abacha's Chief Security Officer(CSO), Major Hamza Al-Mustapher would not be released from prison unless he returned "very sensitive" audio and visual tapes in his possesion and enter into an undertaking not to divulge their contents in future. Abacha was Nigeria's military President from 1993 to 1998.

Al-Mustapher and others have been undergoing trial for treason and other charges in the jurisdiction of the Lagos state judiciary since 1998.

Recently, there have been agitations for the release of Al-Mustapher and his co-accused. Prominent amongst the agitators are Mr. Edwin .k. Clark, Ijaw leader and former Minister of Information and Federick Fasehun, medical doctor and founder of Yoruba militant group, Oodua Peoples' Congress(OPC). There are also demonstrations and news media campaigns in favour of the release.

But the mindset in top security circles according to chidi opara reports' checks is that the former CSO's possession of these materials is a threat to national security and interests of Nigeria's allies, though this was not included in the charges. Top level security contacts are unanimous in their opinions that Al-Mustapher's rank and position did not permit him access to such materials. "He would be the most powerful and dangerous person if he is granted freedom without returning those tapes and giving some kind of undertaking for secrecy", a top security contact informed us. We do not know at this point if Al-Mustapher or his lawyer have been approached on this.

Our investigation also confirmed that the former CSO had secretly and illegally taped and filmed deliberations of the Armed Forces Ruling Council(AFRC), which was the nation's highest decision making organ. He was also known to have secretly and illegally taped and filmed meetings between his principal and prominent national and International personalities. These materials we have independently confirmed was taken to an Arab nation yet to be unravelled for safe keeping by one of Major Hamza Al-Mustapher's brothers.