Posted by By Innocent Anaba and Emmanuel Oji on
Special Assistant to Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Political Matters, Dr Umar Ardo yesterday told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, that former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late Head of State, Gen Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha was the only name mentioned by one Lt. Tijani Abdallah, who reported to him (Ardo) of plot to eliminate President Olusegun Obasanjo by shooting down his helicopter while the president is aboard.
Special Assistant to Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Political Matters, Dr Umar Ardo yesterday told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, that former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late Head of State, Gen Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha was the only name mentioned by one Lt. Tijani Abdallah, who reported to him (Ardo) of plot to eliminate President Olusegun Obasanjo by shooting down his helicopter while the president is aboard.
Ardo who was cross-examined by Allens Agbaka, counsel to Onwuchekwe Okorie, the only civilian standing trial alongside Al-Mustapha and Lt Col Mohammed Umar Adeka, over their alleged involvement in plot to overthrow the Obasanjo's administration, also said that the said Lt. Abdallah did not provide him (Ardo) with the details of the alleged coup plot.
Asked by Agbaka at the resumed hearing in the matter, if it would be correct to say that the said Abdallah did not give him sufficient information with regards to the alleged coup plot, he (Ardo) answered, 'that is correct". Further he was asked if he had heard of a self confessed coup plotter, who comes out to confess to plotting a coup, even when it has not been executed, Ardo said 'no". This prompted the next question which was, whether it was normal for an alleged coup plotter to confess before he is arrested, to which he answered, 'no, if he is willing to go on with it".
Earlier, Ardo was asked whether the said Abdallah gave him the names of Okorie and Lt Col Adeka as those who took part in the alleged coup plot, he responded, 'Abdallah gave me only one name". Asked if Abdallah disclose the names of the people he was meeting to plot the coup, Ardo said, 'he did not".
Asked if Abdallah gave him the time and places of meeting of the alleged coup plotters to convince him that there is actually a coup plot, he said, 'he (Abdallah) did not. He only told me he visited Al-Mustapha in prison, but he did not give the actual time he visited Mustapha and he did not mention any other name to me".
Meanwhile, Okorie is asking the court in a separate application to restrain the State Security Service (SSS) from further removing him from the custody of the Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) where he is presently being detained.
Okorie is asking the court for an interim order, restraining the SSS or any other authority from forcefully removing and/or taking him away from the detention facilities of the DMI, Park Lane, Apapa, Lagos.