Kudirat’s murder: Another witness recants – The Nation
October 5, 2009 by Bunmi Awolusi
Another witness in the trial of three persons charged with killing Kudirat Abiola, the wife of the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief M.K.O Abiola, recanted his testimony before a Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, at the weekend.
Mohammed Abdul (alias Katako) told the court he did not know anything about the case after he had testified that he drove the vehicle from which the shot that allegedly killed Kudirat was fired.
He had informed the court while testifying for the prosecution that he was behind the wheel of a Peugeot 504 Salon car from where a former member of the Strike Force, the dreaded killer- squad set up by the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Sergeant Barnabas Jabilla (alias Rogers), fired at the late Mrs Abiola.
But he turned around under cross-examination to say that he was induced by state officials to testify against the accused persons.
“I was asked to say something I know nothing about,” he said.
Abacha’s former Chief Security Officer (CSO), Major Hamza al-Mustapha; the former Officer-in-Charge of the Mobile Police at the Presidential Villa, Mohammed Rabo Lawal, and businessman Lateef Shofolahan, are being tried by the state before Mr. Justice Morenikeji Dada, for Mrs Abiola’s murder. She was killed on June 4, 1996.
