HOW ARMY FORCED AL MUSTAPHA OUT OF SERVICE.

A former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of
State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Maj. Hamza al-
Mustapha, has been forced to retire from the
Army.
Punch reports that his compulsory retirement,
came as a result of his long absence from service
for a period of over 14 years, while he was away
to face trial over the murder of Alhaja Kudirat
Abiola, a wife of the acclaimed winner of the June
12, 1993 presidential election, Chief M.K.O.
Abiola.
A copy of the retirement letter sent to Al-
Mustapha from the Army Headquarters was
obtained by the news medium on Wednesday.
Following Abacha’s death on June 8, 1998, Al-
Mustapha was arrested in October of the same
year for the murder of Kudirat, an offence for
which he was tried for 14 years.
The Federal Government also pressed other
charges which did not succeed against Al-
Mustapha during the period.
He was subsequently sentenced to death for
Kudirat’s murder by a Lagos High Court in
Igbosere on January 30, 2012, but he was
discharged and acquitted on July 12, 2013 by a
superior judgment of the Court of Appeal in Lagos.
But his letter of compulsory retirement indicated
that the Army Council took the decision to force
him out of service at its meeting held on August 5,
2013, more than a year after the Court of Appeal
acquitted him.
The letter sighted by our correspondent on
Wednesday was, however, dated July 14, 2014 and
it put the period the former Head of State’s CSO
was in the army at 33 years and 11 days.
It further indicated that the decision of the Army
Council to retire him was based on the provisions
of paragraph 09.02(c)(5) of the Harmonised Terms
and Conditions of Service for Nigerian Armed
Forces 2012 (Revised).
The reason for his compulsory retirement,
“undeployability arising from restructuring and/or
lack of establishment,” is the fifth in the list of
nine conditions as stated in the law which the
Army Council can base such a decision on.
The letter with reference number, AHQ MS/
G1/300/226, commended him for demonstrating
“good conduct in the discharge of your duties”
throughout his service in the army.
The letter partly read, “You are authorised to
retain your substantive rank of Major. You are
also entitled to gratuity and pension as well as
Certificate of Military Service and Retired Officers’
Identity Card.
“You are entitled to your ceremonial dress, service
dress and mess kit. However, you should wear
uniforms corresponding to your rank at the time
of retirement only when you are invited for
military ceremonies; military weddings; memorial
services of National Day celebration and
Regimental dinners.”