Snipers : Al-Mustapha Withdraws Suit Against Islamic Cleric,May Sue OBJ

By Lawal A. Dogara, Kaduna
A court case between former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late Head-of-State, late General Sani Abacha (rtd), Major Hamza Al-Mustapha and a Kaduna based Islamic scholar, Sunusi Khaleel accusing the former of contract of training snipers before the Kaduna State Upper Shariah Court sitting in Daura road has yesterday been withdrawn.
Newsdiaronline.com had reported earlier that Al-Mustapha came under pressure to sue the cleric to clear his name.The withdrawal of the case before the court of law followed the Islamic Scholar, Sunusi Khaleel’s retrieval of his earlier statement accusing Al-Mustapha, in a sermon he delivered in his Mosque, of training some snipers to kill one thousand Nigerians.
Addressing the Court on Thursday , counsel to Major Al-Mustapha, Barrister GarbaSadau said the withdrawal of the suit came after several interventions by prominent Nigerians who call on the two parties to mend their fence and follow the Islamic injunction and that the court should be the last source of justice; but where settlement can be agreed parties should follow such path.
According to him, “May I announce to Your Honour that we are withdrawing our suit before Your Lordship because we have arrived at a decision and agreement based on the Defendant’s public retrieval of his earlier statement accusing my client of training some snipers to kill one thousand Nigerians.
“We humbly asked this Court to strike out this earlier suit based on this mutual agreement,“ Bar. Sadau and counsel to Major Al-Mustapha said.
In his response counsel to the Defendant, Mallam Aminu Dikko said the defendant has no objection to the call for withdrawal and strike out of the suit by the Plaintiff.
According to him, the defendant initiated the reconciliation process when he announced in the same mosque where he earlier in his sermon accused
Major Al-Mustapha of training snipers that he erred in a statement and subsequently apologized.
“My Lord, for record purpose we want to state clearly that yes, some prominent Nigerians intervened to settle out of court, but that’s not our reason for withdrawal of the case but because our client, Sheikh Sunusi Khaleel realized that the information made available to him were false and as a man with the fear of God he did the right thing by announcing publicly that he erred. Not only that, he went a step ahead by sending the same message to some media houses,” Mallam Dikko said.
Speaking outside the Court premises, Major Al-Mustapha said as a Northerner and a former military officer he respects senior authority and when some prominent Nigerians approached him and pleaded with him to see reason and withdraw the case, he succumb and instructed his lawyer to file application for withdrawal before the Sha’ria Court.
“The case have actually been withdrawn in the same manner he presented his allegation to the world. He used the same avenue in withdrawing it knowing that what he said was false. He started the campaign from September till date. So many group that came to intervene outside the court and that gave birth to the withdrawal.
On Chief Obasanjo’s open letter, Major. Al-Mustapha said the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) is still investigating the content of the letter Obasanjo wrote to the President and when they finish, findings will be out and open to the public and because of the sensitivity of the content of the letter and because we are also touched certainly there are subsequent legal proceedings to follow,” Major Al-Mustapha stated.
The parties ,after the Court sitting, visited Sheikh Ahmed Gumi’s residence where they both had a private discussion with the Sheikh whose intervention was said to have to led withdrawal of the suit.