Al-Mustapha: Lagos' Appeal Could Ignite Ethnic Distrust

A retired police commissioner, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed Babankowa, Wednesday declared that “the steps taken by the Lagos State Government on the persecution of the former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, have the potential of consuming the All Progressives Congress (APC). Babankowa urged the Lagos State Government to retrace its steps, pointing out that the issue has the capacity to rekindle the distrust between the people of Hausa/Fulani extraction, on one side, and the Yorubas, on the other. “The way and manner the North received this serving military officer on his home coming and the calibre of highly placed individuals that received him in audience was instructive that the region and the silent majority are solidly sympathetic to him," he said. Addressing journalists at his residence, Babankowa added: “From what I have seen so far, I have no doubt in my mind that this current step would harm the relationship across borders against the backdrop of interpretation and understanding of a layman who are simply in the majority here. “I have seen the case file and the grounds for appeal by the Lagos State Government. It would be safe to say that they are trying to exhaust all legal means to satisfy the Abiola family in particular and the Yoruba race in general. But the danger inherent in such judicial expedition is the risk of the relationship with our people.” Babankowa said the decision of the Lagos State Government to appeal Al-Mustapha's acquittal at the Supreme Court might not be unconnected to the resolve to satisfy Abiola family, but cautioned that “while doing that, conscious steps should be applied to avoid harming the larger interest." On the registration of APC, Alhaji Babankowa said: “The days of PDP in power are numbered, and we are waiting patiently for the right time to kick them out of power and we are doing our best to knit together a strong and united opposition party. We are equally conscious of saboteurs who feel threatened by the growing strength of the new mega opposition party across the country. “PDP has nothing to show for the whole length of period they had dominated the political circus and we believe the time is ripe to call their bluff and save the system from further bastardisation." Meanwhile, following the disclosure by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ade Ipaye, that his ministry had appealed against the judgment of the Court of Appeal, which discharged and acquitted al-Mustapha and Mr. Lateef Shofolahan, over the murder of Kudirat Abiola, a copy of the filed notices of appeal obtained by THISDAY yesterday, showed that the appeal was filed on 14 grounds at the Supreme Court…. continued