Former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Hamza Al-Mustapha has opened up on his relationship with the late military ruler and also on the allegation that he stole public funds.
Al-Mustapha who is the Action Alliance’s presidential candidate said despite pressure from some individuals, he has never taken or stolen any of the country’s riches but has instead preserved them.
Speaking on Tuesday on Channels Television’s Political Paradigm, Hamza Al-Mustapha said the late military ruler had the interest of the country at heart but was surrounded by sycophants.
“I don’t have money, I have never stolen N10. I challenged two governments; I challenged Abdulsalam Abubakar’s government, and I challenged (Olusegun) Obasanjo’s government. They searched.
“I was ransacked by bigger international investigative agencies (and the) police. My eyes and thumbprint were taken all around the whole world and they saw nothing. But rather than tell the whole world my clean record, they kept it aside,” he stated.
He further claimed that those who accused him unjustly of murder, a coup attempt, drug trafficking, and money laundering did him a “disservice,” yet he has pardoned them.
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Al-Mustapha also said that his opponents sought to kill him using legal and illicit ways because they wanted to inherit Abacha’s wealth after seizing control.
“I faced 14 judges in 15 years and that has been cleared and there is no iota of it.
“Why did they want to kill me? It is simply because of what I know. I found myself in a situation where I refused to compromise Nigeria and that refusal has cost me,” he stated.
On how he is perceived now that he is running for Nigeria’s top job in 2023, he said, “I am not concerned; I’m a victim of perception or effect of propaganda overtime.
“I suffered from propaganda for a period of 15 years with torture trying to just give me a bad name, just for me not to survive. In 2019, that was when we discovered that there were 18 attempts to kill me. As of 2013 when I came out, I was aware of 11 attempts,” he noted.