The squad was a specialised military team used by Al-Mustapha against his boss’ opponents.
In December 2000, Sergeant Barnabas Jabila, alias Rogers, a member of the Strike Force and Presidential Body Guard narrated how he took part in three assassinations under the direct order of General Sani Abacha’s former Chief Security Officer, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha.
The squad was a specialised military team used by Al-Mustapha against his boss’ opponents.
Rogers was said to be serving in the military when he was ordered to report to Abuja for training as a member of the Strike Force.
The Israelis, who were specially invited to train the Strike Force Commandants, were so impressed with him and this endeared him to Al-Mustapha.
During cross-examination at the Oputa Panel, Sergeant Rogers confessed that his only successful assassination had been that of Kudirat Abiola, wife of the winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, Chief Moshood Abiola.
Kudirat was murdered on June 4, 1996, during the struggle for the validation of her husband’s annulled mandate under the military junta of General Sani Abacha.
He added that he was also asked to kill Alex Ibru and Abraham Adesanya.
According to Rogers, Al-Mustapha ordered him to kill Kudirat and made arrangements for logistics and his transportation to Lagos.
He, however, told the commission that members of the Strike Force were deceived into believing that they were actually serving the state by eliminating those who wanted to break the country into two.
The cross-examination by Dr. Tunji Braithwaite and the commission’s counsel, Mrs. Chinwe Uwandu went thus:
"What is your name?
My name is Sergeant Barnabas Jabila.
Are you also Rogers?
Rogers is my cover name in the training school.
Where are you living now?
I am under the custody of the SSS.
In Abuja?
Yes in Abuja, but now in Lagos.
Have you heard of the many assassinations that were carried out in those dark days?
Yes, I have heard.
Are you a member of the Strike Force?
Yes.
From when to when?
From 1994 till now.
From that time Major Mustapha has been the Commander of the Strike Force?
Yes. He was the Chief Security Officer and head of the Security Department of Strike Force is one of the units I have a commander who is under him.
Would you operate on your own without orders from Major Mustapha?
No.
How many operations on assassinations did you carry out on the orders of Major Mustapha?
Three assignments.
Human beings were killed?
Only one was killed in which I was involved. The other two operations were attempts on the lives of Mr. Alex Ibru and Mr. Abraham Adesanya.
So Mustapha has been lying that he never sent you on these operations.
Major Mustapha is a human being. We met at the Special Investigation Panel. I am not surprised he refused to accept responsibility for what he did, because it takes more than the spirit of man to accept such responsibility.
You are now a born-again Christian?
Presently, I am now a born-again Christian.
I made that remark because unfortunately very few people have that kind of spirit. Do you know Rear Admiral Omotehinwa?
I don’t know him, I only read of him in the papers.
You have nothing to do with his assassination?
No.
Do you know if any other unit in the security department was involved?
I don’t know. If I know I would tell.
How many members usually are assigned by Mustapha to carry out such operations?
The security department comprises various organisations and Mustapha who is in charge has the power to call anybody in any other security agencies to do whatsoever.
Which of the three operations you went in resulted in death?
Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.
Was there an assassination squad?
There was nothing like assassination squad. What they told us was that these people were enemies of the state who imported arms and ammunition into the country and were trying to break this country into two. We would go in search of them, I went into the bush to look for the arms but we would not find any. Later after Gen. Abacha’s death and Gen. Abdulsalami took over, I started seeing those people coming to Aso Rock holding meetings with the Head of State. I then realised we were being fed with lies that these people were enemies of the state. I once met Gen. Bamaiyi at the Villa and he believed I could have escaped outside the country. Col. J.B. Yakubu told us we should not be afraid of anything that we did our best in the service of the nation, to save it from breaking into two.
So it was on the basis of this that you were going in such operations?
Yes, because I believed then I was doing a service to my country.
With all those operations you were involved in, do you feel remorse?
Please, please, Madam (Rogers then broke down in tears). I felt more than remorse. I am now begging for forgiveness. When I was doing it I did not regret it then because I believed I was serving my country. I was a loyal, disciplined and dedicated soldier. (He then stood up and facing Gen. Jeremiah Useni where he was sitting). Gen. Useni, you came to South Korea where we were undergoing training and you saw how dedicated, patriotic and disciplined we were. It is very painful and sad we thought we were saving our country then.
Following Al-Mustapha's denials, the family of the late Chief MKO Abiola has insisted that he killed Kudirat and that there is no way he can rewrite history.
According to a letter addressed to Al-Mustapha and signed by one of Abiola's children, Mrs. Hafsat Abiola-Costello, in 2016, the family recalled that Al-Mustapha gave Rogers a gun and ordered him to assassinate Kudirat.
“The family of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola read the statements you made in Ondo State in the past week, proclaiming your innocence in the assassination of Kudirat Abiola.
”It is worth recalling that you were convicted by the High Court in Lagos State. And although you were acquitted by the Appeal Court on technicalities, the case is before the Supreme Court. Your current ranting is designed to divert the course of justice.
“It should be noted in the context of your recent declaration of innocence that Sergeant Rogers confessed before the Oputa panel that you gave him the gun to carry out the murder of our mother. You never challenged the evidence of Rogers at the panel. The video of his confession is available on YouTube, if you need to refresh your memory.
“Justice is the only way to ensure peace, especially in plural societies like ours,” the letter read.
Meanwhile, Al-Mustapha, who was recently sacked by a Federal High Court as the presidential candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in the 2023 general elections in a report published on Tuesday claimed it was Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who allegedly coached Sergeant Rogers, on what to say to implicate him in the various high-profile political assassinations in the country during 1990s military junta.
“Rogers made mention of the Lagos prosecutors, including the present vice president who was the Attorney General of Lagos State at that time. Rogers told the court that it was the Attorney General of Lagos State and some of the prosecutors, who I learned are now judges in Lagos High Court today, who taught him what to say,” he said.
He further stated that Osinbajo and Sergeant Rogers agreed to incriminate him and ensure the government killed him.
According to court documents made available to journalists on Saturday, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remove the names of all Action Alliance (AA) candidates, including that of the presidential candidate, Al-Mustapha, which were submitted to it by the Kenneth Udeze-led faction of the party.
The order ordered INEC to display the list of candidates submitted to it by the party’s leadership under the chairmanship of Adekunle Rufai Omoaje.
The court presided over by Justice Z.B Abubakar also held that the electoral body erred by failing to give recognition to the list of candidates submitted to it by the Omoaje-led faction.
Omoaje had approached the court to seek redress regarding the non-recognition of the candidates he submitted on behalf of the party to the electoral body.
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Sgt Rogers Testimony On How Major Al Mustapha Ordered The killing of Kudirat Abiola
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