In December, 2013, ex-president, Olusegun Obasanjo, wrote an open letter to President Goodluck Jonathan claiming to have received report of the President’s keeping of over 1000 people on a political watch list and secretly training snipers. The former president also insinuated that President Jonathan assisted el-Mustapha to secure acquittal from a murder case, in order to get the former army officer’s assistance to organize a Gestapo unit as he was believed to have done for his late boss and former military despot, Sanni Abacha. The letter appears to have opened a floodgate of allegations from politicians who now claim to have unveiled plans by the President to assassinate them. More disturbing is the fact that the allegations are coming from very eminent Nigerians. Commentators have expressed concern over the issue, noting that it is a grave thing to sound the alarm on very inadequate grounds just as it is grave to ignore such alarms. Whether by design or not, the political climate in Nigeria is being gradually poisoned by the unsavoury development.
Obasanjo’s letter
Though Obasanjo made many weighty observations in his December letter entitled “Before it is too late”, it would seem the part concerning the mysterious watch list and al-Mustapha’s possible assignment drew the most reactions from Nigerians, moreso because it came from someone like Obasanjo whom, many believe, is in a position to know. Some observers, however, have pointed out that Obasanjo was only merely rehashing the rumours he claimed to have heard, and has since refused to speak more on the issue when challenged to prove his allegations.
They particularly expressed disappointment with the former president for not making the effort to confirm the speculations before going to town with them.
Obasanjo wrote: “Allegation of keeping over 1000 people on political watch list rather than criminal or security watch list and training snipers and other armed personnel secretly, and clandestinely acquiring weapons to match for political purposes like Abacha and training them where Abacha trained his own killers, if it is true, it cannot augur well for the initiator, the government and the people of Nigeria.
“Here again, there is the lesson of history to learn from for anybody who cares to learn from history. Mr. President would always remember that he was elected to maintain security for all Nigerians and protect them. And no one should prepare to kill or maim Nigerians for personal or political ambition or interest of anyone. The Yoruba adage says, ‘The man with whose head coconut is broken may not live to savour the taste of the succulent fruit.’
“Those who advise you to go hard on those who oppose you are your worst enemies. Democratic politics admits and is permissive of supporters and opponents. When the consequences come, those who have wrongly advised you will not be there to help carry the can. Egypt must teach some lesson.
“Presidential assistance for a murderer to evade justice and presidential delegation to welcome him home can only be in bad taste generally but particularly to the family of his victim. Assisting criminals to evade justice cannot be part of the job of the presidency. Or, as it is viewed in some quarters, is he being recruited to do for you what he had done for Abacha in the past? Hopefully, he should have learned his lesson. Let us continue to watch.”
The insinuation has since spawn alarms from politicians who claim to be in the watch list, among them former military Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.); Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi; a former Osun State Governor and Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (PAC), Bisi Akande, and a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. These notable leaders have accused President Jonathan of being after their lives. Speaking to journalists recently, they accused the President of having their names on a sniper list.
Also, el-Rufai had, on Thursday, named the top politicians as some of the persons on President Jonathan’s watch list.
It would be recalled that the Presidency dismissed Obasanjo’ allegations swiftly, and on Saturday the Presidency insisted that President Jonathan had no watch or hit list as being speculated by certain persons. This came from Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.
El-Rufai, on his Twitter account on Thursday, had identified the top politicians as Buhari, Tinubu, Amaechi, Akande and himself as some of those on the watch list. The ex-minister stressed that he was number seven on the list.
“I am number seven on the GEJ (Goodluck Ebele Jonathan) sniper list, so I will only worry when GMB (General Muhammadu Buhari), Asiwaju (Tinubu), Amaechi, Akande, etc, are killed,” he tweeted.
The following day, he added: “They plot and plan, and God too plans; but the best of planners is God. — (Qur’an 8:30) … God protects us.”
Reports claim that Akande, through his aide, has confirmed the speculation, noting that the mysteries surrounding previous killings with political undertone had yet to be unravelled by security agencies.
Akande’s media aide, Lani Baderinwa, was reported to have said that it won’t be out of place if the APC Chairman was placed on the watch list, being the leader of the opposition in the country today.
“You and I know that Nigeria is a country where anything goes and illegal actions are the order of the day. What else can he do than to be hoping that the wish of the enemies will not come to pass in his life,” he asked.
He said the watch list allegation became more substantive as it came from an insider who knew the workings of the government.
“It was not Chief Akande who actually made the allegation (of a watch list); it was the former President (Olusegun Obasanjo) who has access to everything that the incumbent has; you cannot deny that fact. Therefore, it is difficult to say it is not true. The life of a man is in the hands of God, to be or not to be. Chief Akande remains unshaken.” he noted.
Akande’s aide said telling people to hold the government responsible was a wasted effort, considering that “all the murders in the last 15 years have not been unravelled.”
Return of Al-Mustapha
Of importance in the allegation saga is the significance attached to the release of al-Mustapha by the court. Speaking for Buhari recently, the erstwhile spokesman for the Congress for Progressive Change (now part of APC), Rotimi Fashakin, said Buhari’s camp was not surprised that the General’s name was on the list.
Fashakin stated that Buhari got 12 million votes on the platform of CPC, a 10-month-old party at that time, and had since remained a nightmare to the President.
Hear him: “Everybody knows that the name of Gen. Buhari conjures fear in the heart of the President. That is why they would rather wish that he is no longer in the equation. El-Rufai cannot be far from the truth when he asserted the VIPs that are in the wanted list. He is totally correct. Jonathan’s presidency should tell us why (former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Hamza) al-Mustapha is being kept in the Army. One of the things that will be giving the presidency sleepless nights will be how to rig. They used some incumbent governors to reduce the vote of the CPC.”
Fashakin said Obasanjo’s letter to Jonathan did the nation a great service, adding that the President’s response did not clear any doubt.
He expressed his suspicion over the reinstatement of al-Mustapha to the army after 15 years in detention. He said it might not be unconnected with the watch list. “Knowing al-Mustapha’s antecedent as one who superintended over Abacha’s killer squad, why shouldn’t we be apprehensive that this government is trying to play with fire,” Fashakin said.
He also said it was the duty of the Nigerian state to protect Buhari, as a former Head of State.
Fashakin added: “It will be a shame to the Nigerian state if the amiable General is allowed to be taken out just like that. It is not for him to protect himself; it is for the Nigerian state to ensure that the dastardly plot does not succeed because he has served Nigeria meritoriously. It’s a good thing that Nigerians have been put on notice. So, if anything happens to Buhari, we know the direction we should be looking at.”
Similarly, Governor Amaechi is reported to have conceded that although his life was at risk, based on the inclusion of his name on Jonathan’s alleged watch list, he was not afraid of death. The governor, who spoke through the Chief of Staff of the Government House, Port Harcourt, Tony Okocha, said el-Rufai’s findings were real. He, however, said God was his ultimate protector.
Amaechi said the signs that he was on the sniper list were open to everybody. He identified the alleged use of the Nigeria Police to embarrass his office as one of the indicators that he was on the list.
The governor has been quoted as saying: “We don’t own the police or any of the security outfits in the country. They are all controlled by the Federal Government. So, we solely rely on God to protect us. The governor is a hero and he will be a martyr if he dies based on what he believes. We do not have any security measure and we believe that God is the ultimate protector of man. When a governor is being hunted with the police and when a police commissioner confronts a governor of a state at will, these are signs of threat to the governor’s life.”
Aso Rock refutes claim
But while recalling that Jonathan had personally explained that he had no watch list, the presidential spokesman, Abati, challenged any person who felt he had seen such list to feel free to approach security agents.
Abati said: “The President has already addressed that matter that there is no watch or hit list anywhere but if by any chance, el-Rufa’i or any other person feels he has seen any list, why has he not reported to security agencies? If he has the list, let him produce it, otherwise it appears he is just talking nonsense. It is sheer irresponsible talk. There is no watch or hit list anywhere. People should stop speculating about any list, they should stop making themselves appear to be important when they are actually not important, at all.”
On his part, Major Al-Mustapha has challenged the former president to provide evidence on his claims that President Jonathan influenced the Appeal Court judgment which discharged and acquitted him of the murder of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.
Al-Mustapha, who is currently overseas, also denied the former president’s allegation that he was being used by President Jonathan to run a killer squad the same way he allegedly operated the famous X-Squad during the late military dictator’s regime to eliminate political opponents.
Al-Mustapha, who spoke through his counsel, Barrister Olalekan Ojo, has dared Obasanjo to produce evidence to support his weighty allegations in the said letter.
In his reaction, Ojo said: “To the best of my knowledge, President Jonathan never organised or sponsored any welcome rally to Al-Mustapha after his release.”
Al-Mustapha had been incarcerated for 14 years before he was acquitted by the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal, after being sentenced to death by a Lagos High Court.
Ojo noted: “The impression (given by Obasanjo’s letter) is that the Court of Appeal caved in to pressure from President Jonathan, to that extent, the comment is disturbing, worrisome and unwarranted. The judiciary should be left alone and not be dragged into politics. The Justices of the Court of Appeal in Lagos that sat over the case are jurists of impeccable character and it is not fair for anybody, no matter how well-placed, to attack the integrity of these judges. We challenge Obasanjo to produce evidence of such interference to make it available to the public.”
He added: “My client was discharged and acquitted on the merit of his appeal. Majority of those who commented on the judgment expressed satisfaction. It is most unfortunate that a person like OBJ could accuse the President of using his exalted office for such a sinister and morally reprehensible thing. It must be stated that if OBJ has any issue to settle with the President, he should not drag Al Mustapha into it.”
Speaking specifically on the allegation that Al-Mustapha is being used by Jonathan to run a hit squad, Ojo said that the accusation was a pointer to the enormous hatred Obasanjo had for Al-Mustapha.
“At no time has he been involved in any such thing. It is totally false. Al-Mustapha is earnestly committed to the promotion of peace and harmony in Nigeria. It is most unfair that such an allegation should be made against him. It is an attempt to give a dog a bad name to hang him. When Al-Mustapha returns (from abroad) he will make a fuller response,” Ojo said.
Incidentally, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), is reported to have forwarded a memo to the National Human Rights Commission, directing it to investigate allegations of rights abuse contained in Obasanjo’s letter.
The memo, with reference number HAGF/NHRC2013/Vol2/5, was dated December 23, 2013, was addressed to the Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Ben Angwe.
Critics fear that a very tense political atmosphere has been created in the country given the possibility that the allegations against the president would become real if anything happens to any of those mentioned to be under watch. Some analysts have, therefore, advised that all relevant bodies ensure they get to the roots of the allegations, either to stop their fulfillment or stop the dangerous trend of assassination allegations.
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