10th June, 2013
An appeal court sitting in Lagos, south west Nigeria, Monday reserved judgement in an appeal filed by Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer to late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, and Abdulateef Shofolahan.
After the two parties adopted their written addresses, Al-Mustapha’s lawyer, Joseph Dawodu (SAN) urged the appeallate court to allow the appeal on the ground that the evidence of the two principal witnesses, Abdulahi Katako and Sergeant Barnabas Jabila aka Rogers, were contradictory and unreliable.
Barrister Olalekan Ojo, who is the lawyer to Shofolahan also urged the court to allow the appeal on the ground that the evidences put forward were rejected while the court was also looking for the evidences to convict both suspects at all costs.
After their submissions the state counsel, Lawal Pedro urged the appellate court to dismiss the appeal of the convicts and affirm the ruling of the lower court on the grounds that sufficient backgrounds were presented before the court.
At the end of the adoption of the written addresses of the parties the court thereafter reserved judgement.
Justice Ibrahim Saulawa of the Court of Appeal, Lagos southwest Nigeria, on Thursday, 30 May, 2013, withdrew from the case.
—Akin Kuponiyi