The Nation August 05, 2011

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Nigeria’s truly national newspaper

IL O S IN M NEWS IR ON F PAGE 2 N TI IA O C LLU ER GE UN PO NIG PA 11 •Alleges council can’t be impartial, independent

Lawyer sues NJC in battle to stop Ibrahim Auta Panel

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TR UTH IN DEFENCE OF FREEDOM TRUTH

VOL. 7, NO. 1843 FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 2011

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al-Mustapha on Abiola: Ige made minister for role Abdulsalami said Obasanjo should die, ex-CSO alleges Nuhu Ribadu, Opadokun: it’s all lies

I

T was an anti-climax yesterday at the Lagos High Court. The former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late General Sani Abacha, Hamza Al-Mustapha, killed the excitement of the crowd that besieged the court to see a video of some Yoruba leaders collecting cash from the government after Chief Moshood Abiola’s death. 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

•al-Mustapha leaving the court amid tight security ... yesterday

PHOTO: JOHN EBHOTA

WHO SAID WHAT

Why did his video tape not I strongly refute this claim Adesanya ... once related to cover the scene where as false ... It was invented to me why he never went to money was being shared? build sympathy for his case Abuja with any bag ... – Opadokun – Ribadu – Odumakin By Eric Ikhilae, Judicial Correspondent

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 Continued on page 2

How CJN stopped Sokoto Appeal Court’s verdict

M

•Wamakko

ORE revelations emerged yesterday on how the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, stopped the Court of Appeal from delivering its verdict in the Sokoto State Governorship Election Petition Appeal. The said judgment was in an appeal filed by Alhaji Muhammadu Dingyadi of the Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), challenging

From Yomi Odunuga and Kamarudeen Ogundele, Abuja

the suitability of Governor Aliyu Wamakko to contest on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2007 governorship election. Rather than abate, the controversy is growing on the circumstances surrounding the allegations and counter-allegations between the CJN and the President of the Court of Ap-

peal (PCA), Justice Isa Ayo Salami, on the matter. Two panels constituted by the National Judicial Council (NJC) have submitted their reports on the issue. They cleared Justice Salami of any wrong doing. The panel chaired by former PCA Justice Umar Abdullahi also absolved Justice Katsina-Alu of any attempt to influence Justice Salami to use his position to get judgment in favour of

Wamakko. Justice Salami had alleged that he was asked by Justice Katsina-Alu to either obtain judgment in favour of Wamako or disband the panel. But Justice Abdullahi’s panel said there was no proof that Justice KatsinaAlu attempted to influence the panel through Justice Salami. However, a copy of the letter sent by the CJN to the members of the Court of Continued on page 54

•POLITICS P13 •SPORTS P24 •SOCIETY P29 •AGRIC P35 •LABOUR P51


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