Al-Mustapha denies roughening up Obasanjo while in prison

Former Chief Security Officer to the late military head of state, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, denied beating up former President Olusegun Obasanjo during Obasanjo's incarceration in prison.

He declared this an interview with BBC Hausa Service radio on April 1, 2014, Tuesday.

Al-Mustapha said he rather helped OBJ with his personal upkeep at the various prisons.

"I have never beaten Obasanjo and I never beat up anybody. Obasanjo lied on me and God will be the judge between me and him.

"When Obasanjo was arrested on charges of coup attempt, I was the one who gave N10,000 for the purchase of bed sheet, pillow sheet and brush.

"Also, when he was moved to Jos prison, I and governor Manah used to buy him food items from NASCO Company. All these assistances I rendered were due to his position as a former head of state and an elder person," he said.

Al-Mustapha also denied ever beating anybody or standing on the way of somebody's freedom in his life.

"I had no intention whatsoever for someone to pay me back what I did to him," he added.

Asked that the former president had at a number of times claimed to have been abused in prison by him, Al-Mustapha replied that it was all a lie.

"You can see during Oputa panel, he refused to show up. Up till today, he has never agreed to meet me personally," he said.

When asked on whether he would support President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 general elections, the former CSO shied away from a point-blank answer.

"I cannot say anything until when I am done with the court's appeal case and with the military. Until such a time when I would announce to the whole world about my decision, after I am done with all these cases," he said.

It would be recalled that the Court of Appeal in Lagos has discharged and acquitted Major Hamza Al-Mustapha in July 2013.

In his famous letter to GEJ Obasanjo alleged that the former CSO was released from prison to help the president train assassins to eliminate opposition politicians, who were on Jonathan's watch list.

-naij