Reports coming in says that the Appeal Court in Lagos has dismissed charges of conspiracy to murder Alhaja Kudirat Abiola levelled against Retired Major Hamza Al-Mustapha.

This decision was based on the fact that no direct circumstantial evidence could be provided to state that he conspired with anyone. The Court says that the evidence provided by the prosecution witnesses were contradictory.

Justice Rita Pemu who read the lead judgment says that it certainly was not Al-Mustapha who pulled the trigger of the gun that killed Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

Third Judge, Justice Fatima Akinbami has also agreed with the lead judgement meaning that the ruling is unanimous.

The court awaits the judgement on Al-Mustapha’s co-accused, Lateef Shofolahan.

The duo of Al-Mustapha and Shofolahan had appealed against the judgment of a Lagos High Court which sentenced them to death for the June 4, 1996 murder of Kudirat Abiola, wife of the deceased winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, Chief MKO Abiola.

Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos High Court had found them guilty of the offence, and accordingly convicted and sentenced them to death by hanging.

Counsel to the appellants had however, appealed to the Court of Appeal, 24-hours after the sentence of the convicts.

In the notice of appeal, the appellants contend that the death sentence handed by the lower court was unwarranted, unreasonable and a manifest miscarriage of justice.