Former
Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Maj. Hamza
al-Mustapha, has been compulsorily retired from the Army.
His
compulsory retirement, according to a military source, was due to
his absence in the Army for a period of over 14 years, while he was
away to face the trial over the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, a wife of
the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief M.K.O. Abiola.
On
Wednesday, Punch sighted a copy of the retirement letter sent to Al-Mustapha
from the Army Headquarters which stated that the Army Council took the decision
to force him out of service at its meeting held on August 5, 2013, more than a
year after the Court of Appeal acquitted him.
The
retirement letter had the date of July 14, 2014 and it put the period
the former Head of State’s CSO was in the army at 33 years and 11 days.
According
to the letter, the reason for his compulsory retirement was, “undeployability
arising from restructuring and/or lack of establishment,”.
However,
the letter commended him for demonstrating “good conduct in the discharge of
your duties” throughout his service in the army.
The
letter partly read:“You are authorised to retain your substantive rank of
Major. You are also entitled to gratuity and pension as well as Certificate of
Military Service and Retired Officers’ Identity Card.
“You
are entitled to your ceremonial dress, service dress and mess kit. However, you
should wear uniforms corresponding to your rank at the time of retirement only
when you are invited for military ceremonies; military weddings; memorial
services of National Day celebration and Regimental dinners.”
Following
Abacha’s death on June 8, 1998, Al-Mustapha was arrested in October of the same
year for the murder of Kudirat, he was subsequently sentenced to death for
Kudirat’s murder by a Lagos High Court in Igbosere on January 30, 2012, but was
released and acquitted on July 12, 2013 by a superior judgment of the
Court of Appeal in Lagos.
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