Al-Mustapha’s revelations: The letter that brought N32.5bn from CBN to settle Yoruba leaders

With the denial by various Yoruba leaders who were active participants in the struggle for the actualization of the June 12 1993 presidential election, of the former Chief Security Officer to

the late General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza al-Mustapha’s allegations before a Lagos High Court during the week, Sunday Tribune is in possession of the letter he cited in his evidence-in-chief.

Al-Mustapha had told the court that the Abdusalami regime took $200 million, £75 million and N500 million to ‘settle’ some Yoruba leaders over the death of the late business mogul.

With the exchange rate that obtained at the time, the total value of all the sums in naira was around N32.5 billion.


The former CSO, who is on trial over the murder of Kudirat, wife of the late Abiola, began to open what many referred to as can of worm last Monday.

Details of the transaction that facilitated the withdrawal of the colossal sums of money, according to Sunday Tribune’s findings, was contained in a letter from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) in Abubakar’s government, Major General Abdullahi Mohammed (rtd.) and dated July 8, 1998, a day after Chief Abiola died in mysterious circumstances.

The letter, with reference number: NSA/A/320/S, addressed to Head of State, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation, Presidential Villa, Abuja, a copy of which was published in the Volume 3, No 1, August 1999 edition of the now-rested Conscience International magazine, a copy of which is in Sunday Tribune’s possession, indicated that the request for the various sums in the three different currencies was hinged on logistic requirements for the influx of foreign envoys, offsetting of outstanding debts incurred on the presidential air fleet and carrying out of assignments of security interests which were fallout of the politician’s death.

Entitled “Request for Funds,” the letter, which al-Mustapha revealed resulted in the poisoning of the late publisher of Abuja Mirror and elder brother of former Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Coomasie, Abideen, who was also in possession of a copy, read; “the sudden sad event of Chief M. K. O. Abiola’s death on Tuesday, 7th July, 1998 due to apparent heart failure has occasioned an influx of visitors from within and outside the country. Added to this are (sic) the list of VIPs currently on and some others about to undertake special assignments. Beyond the administrative and logistic requirements of the VIPs/envoys, the special assignments entail sufficient funding in order to successfully realize their intended objectives.

“As at date, the presidential air fleet stands indebted due to outstanding landing and maintenance costs. It is also understood that in addition to a fairly huge amount urgently needed to meet the immediate fuel requirements of the fleet, there are some outstanding payments to be effected to some members of the staff. There are also outstanding estacode payments to some of our service personnel in Liberia and Sierra Leone. In addition to this are outstanding medical evacuation bills.

“The unfolding events presuppose a situation whereby a lot of emergency assignments of security interest cum nature will be emerging with the passage of time. There is, therefore, the need to have some reserve for such emergency security operational requirements particularly at this time.”

Major General Mohammed, who later served in the succeeding civilian government headed by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo as Chief of Staff, then concluded in the memo that; “In view of the forgoing, I wish to hereby request for two hundred million US dollars ($200 million), seventy-five million pound sterling (£75 million) and five hundred million naira (N500 million) only.”

As reflected by the letter, it was, apparently, forwarded to the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), signed and approved by the Head of State.