Richard Akinnola, journalist, social critic and human rights activist, played an active role in the struggle to actualise the June 12, 1993 presidential mandate of late MKO Abiola and the agitations which led to the present democratic government.
Not one to fold his arms and watch, Akinnola again stood up to be counted when the Court of Appeal discharged and acquitted Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Chief Security Officer (CSO) to former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, from the murder of Kudirat Abiola, MKO's wife.
This time, he has written a book, in barely three weeks, to educate and inform the world on why he is against the Court of Appeal ruling.
Akinnola presented his book, titled "A travesty of Justice – The acquittal of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and others over the murder of Kudirat Abiola." to the public on Monday, July 29, 2013 at Excellence Hotel, Lagos.
Speaking passionately about why he was motivated to write a book on the acquittal of Al-Mustapha, Akinnola says he decided to speak up against Al- Mustapha's acquittal because he sees the former CSO's freedom as the height of injustice. He says, "I think in the case of Gani Fawehinmi Vs Akibu in 1987, the Supreme Court said that we are our brother's keepers.
So, that informed why I am doing this, because an injustice to someone is an injustice everywhere. And I believe that an injustice has been done and I feel the situation is like rubbing salt upon injury with the whole politicising of the whole acquittal, particularly the post-acquittal demonstration and actions of the political elites.
This shows that the issue is more political than judicial. And that is why I feel that we cannot allow this kind of injustice to be swept under the carpet.
"This entire thing is about politics and that is why it is very sad. We are talking about human life and it is unfortunate that they have made the judiciary helpless.
Why I feel hurt personally is because we are talking about human life. We are not talking about a civil matter.
Life has been lost; people have lost their parents, their dependants have become orphans because of this.
And particularly, we all know the antecedents of Al- Mustapha and all the atrocities he perpetrated while he was CSO to Abacha. I was a victim and many people were also victims of Abacha's government.
"I recall that I called one of the Editors in TELL after the Court of Appeal judgement and said perhaps all of us should roll out the red carpet and go to Kano and beg Al-Mustapha.
Because if we look at all the things we faced during that period and see what is playing out now, one does not need to pity this country.
And even some of our Comrades who have been consistent in this kind of struggle have suddenly gone mute on the Al-Mustpha thing, which to me amounts to massive endorsement of the acquittal, just because they want to be politically correct."
But why a book at this time?
Why write a book in three weeks? Akinnola says, "There is something fundamentally wrong in this country because any country founded on injustice can never prosper.
When we fought the June 12 and post June 12 struggle, we didn't look at where anybody came from. Even for those of us from the South-West, when Earnest Shonekan was brought in to replace Abiola after the annulled election, we resisted it.
When former President Olusegun Obasanjo came in and tried his third term agenda, we resisted it. We did that because we acted on principle. So when people now decide to jettison principle on the altar of political expediency, one needs to have a fresh appraisal of this country.
"That is why it is necessary to bring this book out at this point in time because of the level of propaganda being dished out by the other side. I must say that this book is just the 'John the Baptist.' The real book is still coming.
"The attitude of the political elite has further validated the fact that this acquittal is nothing short of political.
A few days ago, a former Minister led a group to the PDP secretariat to thank the national chairman of PDP, Bamangar Tukur, and the President for the acquittal of Major Al-Mustapha.
He said that he knew that this was not just a mere judicial decision, that if the President and Bamangar Tukur were not involved, there was no way the court would have given that kind of decision.
What he said was published in black and white and I felt scandalised that these people are not even trying to cover up the reasons for the political judgement. "Many of the reports in the public domain have shown that it was not just a judicial decision but political-judicial decision.
If you follow the trend in the last two weeks after his acquittal, you will see a lot of PDP stalwarts going to PDP headquarters to thank Bamangar Tukur for helping in getting Al-Mustapha out of the prison and thanking the President for getting Al-Mustapha out of the prison.
"So, I think that their actions show that the judgement was a premeditated thing, not just a judicial fiat because the PDP guys said so and it was published that they know that there is no way the court would have release him without the president.
If you follow the media in the last few days you will see how Al-Mustapha is now being used as arrowhead to win the North for 2015, which is most unfortunate.
"The guy (Al-Mustapha) has become the hero of the North. It is most unfortunate and I think irrespective of the rubbish going on, we should just remain focused and steadfast that justice has no ethnic or tribal colouration.
As far as I am concerned, injustice is injustice and justice is justice irrespective of where you come from or your interest. As long as human life is involved, we need to fight for that person."
Akinnola is canvassing that the matter be taken to the Supreme Court for a final decision. "I believe that the case should go to the Supreme Court. Irrespective of what has happened, let the matter go to the Supreme Court.
Let it be on record that this is what the Supreme Court did on the matter.
"This will certainly not be the end of the matter. This matter will still come up and whoever thought he has escaped justice, God will ultimately judge him even here on earth, before he gets to heaven. He will certainly receive the judgement."
So who killed Kudirat Abiola? Says Akinnola, "Despite what they did to Gani Fawehinmi in respect of Dele Giwa's death, Nigerians today know who killed Dele Giwa. Whether the court has committed them or not, they know. And the torture those people go through everyday cannot be quantified.
So Nigerians know who killed Dele Giwa, thanks to Gani Fawehinmi's struggle.
By the time they go through my book, Nigerians will also know who killed Kudirat Abiola irrespective of the decision of the Court of Appeal."
National Mirror