Al-Mustapha: My Freedom is Victory for Democracy

Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to
the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Tuesday described his
release from prison as a victory for democracy.
Speaking shortly after a visit to an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad
Gumi, in Kaduna, Al-Mustapha said his freedom was also a victoryfor
the judiciary.
The former CSO, who was sentenced to death for the murder of the wife
of the late Chief M. K. O. Abiola, Kudirat, but set free following an
appeal court judgment, told journalists in an interview shortly after
the visit that he had forgiven those who persecuted himunjustly.
Al-Mustapha, who said he was not disposed to any interview, said:"I
was sentenced to death but Allah turned it around because I spoke the
truth and stood by it, which caused my incarceration."
While describing Gumi as his elder brother and leader, he added that
Gumi's father was his grandfather.
"So, I am at home. I have been here as a child and today the factthat
I'm back after being released, if I don't come nothing is complete.
May God bless Nigeria and Nigerians. May justice prevail at all given
time and peace to all. God will protect and sustain Nigeria," he said.
Earlier, Gumi had said he was happy to receive Al-Mustapha backhome,
urging him to forgive all those who had wronged him, as whathappened
was an act of God.
"It is a very happy day for us today, everybody is happy. It is a big
plus for democracy and the judiciary too that we are coming of age
that no innocent person should be convicted for any other reason. So,
we are very happy for him that he came here and he met us. We thank
him too and pray that Allah will bring peace to the nation. We want
everybody to live a peaceful co-existence.
"My advice to him is that he should take it as a decree from Allah
that he would spend such years in incarceration and that he should not
harbour grudges against anybody because nobody could have harmed him
if Allah had not destined that.
"So, let him be patient about that and treat everybody as equals.
Hehas the liberty not to forgive them but I am asking him to forgive
whoever had done this to him," the cleric stated.
Meanwhile, the former CSO, who had earlier paid a similar visit to the
Emir of Zaria, Alhaji Shehu Idris, before coming to Kaduna, also met
with members of the Arewa Youths Forum (AYF) in Kaduna.