In a judgment that lasted for more than seven hours, Justice Mojishola Dada stated that the prosecution was able to prove beyond all logical doubt allegations of conspiracy to murder and the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, the wife of supposed winner of june 12th 1993 presidential election, Chief Moshood Abiola against the two convict.
According to her “the evidence before the court against Mustapha and Shofolahan was very strong and manifestly reliable and their defense was an afterthought which failed to persuade the court to otherwise conclude”
While examining evidence in the 12 year old case, the judge had identified two issues for resolve, they were: whether the prosecution was able to prove its case of conspiracy against the convict and whether they have been able to reduce the burden of prove on it on the murder charge.
On the issue of conspiracy, the judge said despite their denial in court, the convict in their past statements, which was admitted in evidence after a trial within trial, to the Special Investigative Panel (SIP) indicated that they first met in 2005 in Abuja.
She further held that Mustapha at the said meeting recruited Shofolahan, while he was still working as an aid to the late victim of the crime as an informant and also to assist on security issues in Lagos.
Additionally, Dada also concluded that it was Shofolahan that led Rogers and others to the Abiola household and also showed Kudirat Abiola to her killer for monetary gains.
She painted Shofolahan as a viper and a blood thirsty traitor who acted before the Abiola family as a friend in the open but, at the back dug a big hole for them. He is a gold digger who sold his master for money.
She also held that the “ contradictions in the testimonies of two of the prosecution witness did not seriously affect their evidence before the court as they maintained throughout their testimony that they killed the victim and that they were send by Al-mustaph to carry out the act”.
“The statement of the 1st defendant in court was that his sole responsibility was to safe guard the government of Abacha and his family at all cost. This shows that he felt obligated to silence any perceived opposing voice to the administration,”he said.
“He admitted in court that he set up an anti-terrorist force called Strike Force in 1995 to protect his boss against enemies of the government and that he send Rabo Lawal to Lagos to monitor the activities of NADECO.
“He carried himself in such a way as if no one can touch him the documents and video in his procession showed how powerful he was.”
Al-Mustaph and Shofolahan were first arraign before Justice Adetula Alabi in 1999 on a two count charge of conspiracy to murder and the murder which includes Alhaja Abiola alongside Rabo Lawal and the son of the late dictator, Mohammed Abacha.
However, Mohammed Abacha was granted freedom by the Supreme Court in 2001 for insufficient evidence to connect him to the crime, Rabo Lawal, who was the head of the mobile police unit attach to the presidential villa, was also discharged for the same reason by Justice Dada in 2011. However, the same judge had sentenced these two giants to death by hanging.
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