When the video tape (VHS) was played, it contained less than a minute's clip of an encounter between some pro-democracy activists, led by the late Chief Abraham Adesanya, and some journalists, who asked him questions on their meeting with the then Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.
Most people, who had a hectic time entering the court because of the large crowd, were disappointed when the video ended. They had anticipated scenes that would support al-Mustapha's claim that Yoruba leaders received money from the government and were happy when they emerged from the Presidential Villa.
Easily identified in the video were the late Adesanya, Dr. Arthur Nwankwo of the then Eastern Mandate Union (EMU), who stood behind the late Adesanya and the late Chief Bola Ige, who wore a blue guinea brocade.
As against al-Mustapha' claim, neither Adesanya nor Dr. Nwankwo looked happy while responding to questions from the journalists. Adesanya only smiled at the end of the interview when he said: "Journalists can now disperse" and everyone laughed.
In his testimony yesterday before the court in Igbosere, al-Mustapha claimed that the encounter in the video took place at the frontage of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He could only identify the late Adesanya as the leader of the delegation and the late Ige in the video.
He said the Yoruba leaders met with Gen. Abubakar and then National Security Adviser Gen. Abdullahi Abubakar. He was not at the meeting, he said, because he had handed over to another CSO. al-Mustapha said he would have had more recordings, using the Close Circuit Television (CCTV), if he was still the CSO.
The former CSO, who testified at the resumption of his trial for the murder of the late Abiola's wife, Alhaja Kudurat, in Lagos, accused former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Nuhu Ribadu of working to eliminate him and others at the beginning of the case in 1999.
He is being tried with Lateef Shofolahan, an aide to the late Mrs Abiola.Al-Mustapha told the court that Ribadu, who he said led a team of policemen and other security operatives that brought them in from Lagos, was detailed to eliminate them.
He recalled an instance at the Magistrate's Court, Ikeja where, he said, there was an open disagreement between Ribadu and the then Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP), Mike Okiro, on who should take their custody.
Al-Mustapha claimed that while Ribadu asked Okiro to yield them to him, the then CP refused, insisting that he could only do so, if there was a letter from Abuja conveying such an instruction.
He said Okiro got transferred out of Lagos unceremoniously because he was sympathetic to their cause and accused Ribadu of subjecting them to undue torture and inhuman treatment to kill them.
Ribadu denied it all last night, saying it was all inverted to draw sympathy.
al-Mustapha also accused Gen. Abubakar of insisting in 1996 that former President Olusegun Obasanjo be killed over the 1995 alleged coup.
He said at a meeting, Gen. Abubakar insisted that Obasanjo must be subjected to the law he made while in office as a military Head of State, making involvement in coup a treasonable offence punishable by death.
The former Abacha aide said the occasion and where Gen. Abubakar allegedly described Obasanjo in uncomplimentary language were captured in a video, which he claimed to have handed to Obasanjo in 2001 through General Ibrahim Sabo, who he said was later compensated by Obasanjo.
Justice Mojisola Dada admitted in evidence the 11-page letter al-Mustapha claimed to have written to the late Ige in 2001.
On the prompting of his lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, he read part of the letter, which he said was delivered to the late Attorney General of the Federation by his (al-Mustapha's) lawyers then – the late Clement Akpamgbo (SAN) and Amobi Nzelu.
In the letter, he accused the late Ige of being "unconsciously" used by the government to delay Abiola's release.
He also told the late Ige in the letter that huge state funds were deployed to lobby some Yoruba leaders for helping to douse the tension ignited by Abiola's death.
Al-Mustapha told the late Ige that his appointment as the AGF and Justice Minister was a compensation for his role in the Abiola saga and that he (Ige) was being used to persecute them. He added that he sought the late AGF's assistance in ensuring that they were fairly treated and accorded the right to fair trial.
Al-Mustapha also accused Gen. Abubakar of being the architect of his misfortune, saying his (Abubakar's) intention was to either silence him or keep him perpetually in custody because he possesses a lot of information that could tear the country apart.
He said he was hated by others who were interested in power after Abacha's death because of the role God helped him to play in Gen. Abubakar's emergence as Abacha's successor, despite not being the most qualified.
"Gen. Abubakar, who initiated the whole thing, became the Head of State. The ambition of some people that could not be fulfilled led us into this.
But God used me to avert bloodbath in the country. Some of them insisted that Abiola must be shot the day Gen Abacha was murdered. I used my bodyguards to protect him. I took him far away from the trouble spot to the Gado Nasko Barracks.
"Before they separated me from Abiola, I attached to him a policeman named Zadok, a man I trusted because of his religious inclination. He was mainly in charge of Abiola's feeding and ensuring his wellbeing.
"When there were threats, I changed places for Abiola; I moved him from where he was kept to the guest house of the Commissioner of Police, Abuja and also that of the Secretary to the Government," he said.
Al-Mustapha said because of his love for the late Abiola's family, he declined an invitation by the government in 2002 to act as a state witness in the civil case filed by the family against the Federal Government, seeking compensation for the murder of its breadwinner.
He denied committing conspiracy and murder as well as arming those who killed Mrs. Abiola – as alleged by the prosecution. The ex-CSO accused the state of inducing some of the prosecution witnesses to implicate him in their statement and testimonies.
As early as 7 .30 am, the two corridors leading to the courtroom was filled with people anxious to see the video, which was admitted in evidence on Wednesday. By 10 am, the crowd had extended to the nearby Igbosere Road. The court's main gate was closed.
Security agents had a tough job controlling the restless crowd. They almost tore down the door as they struggled to enter the courtroom, but for the security agents, mainly from the Prison Service.
The court eventually began sitting at a little after 10 am. The case was called at 10. 12 am. Ojo, the lead defence lawyer, sought the permission of the court to play the video tape with the aid of the VHS playing device and two television sets – a 16 inches LG television and a 36 inches Samsung LCD plasma television - mounted in the court by the defence team.
At the end of the about a minute's video clip, most people in court remained expectant, anticipating a more detailed information of how money was actually shared.
The video showed the late Adesanya responding to reporters' questions on their encounter with the then Head of State the day after Abiola's death.
In the video, the late Adesanya was asked what consensus parties reached at the meeting. He, in turn, asked what they meant by consensus.
The reporters asked what their new position was; he insisted that their (the then pro-democracy community's) position had not changed, despite Abiola's death.
"There is no new position. We are still insisting on a government of national unity and a sovereign national conference.
As far as we are concerned, we still want the government to convoke a sovereign national conference to fashion out a new constitution for the country. We also insisted on a government of national unity," the late Adesanya said.
On who would head the government, in view of Abiola's death, the late Adesanaya said the head of their suggested national government was not decided. After that, he said "the press should disperse", a statement that provoked laughter.
In court were Oodua People's Congress (OPC) founder Dr. Frederick Fasehun and former Eagles' coach Fanny Amun.
Led by security operatives through the court's crowded corridors towards the courtroom, al-Mustapha stopped on seeing Fasehun and requested that he (Fasehun) and another unidentified old man be allowed in before him.The security personnel at the door obliged al-Mustapha.
While speaking with journalists after the court's proceedings, Fasehun praised al-Mustapha for his "courage and dedication to the cause of truth".
He said al-Mustapha deserved to be praised for, according to him, bringing to light all that had been hidden.
Fasehun, who until recently became a regular face at every hearing in the case, said what al-Mustapha said revealed that "those who we thought were representing us were actually doing something else".
He said that al-Mustapha could be kept in prison for about 13 years was a shame and an embarrassment to the country.Further hearing has been adjourned till Monday
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