Breaking: Appeal court judge withdraws from Al-Mustapha’s case citing “personal reasons”

The judge withdrew from the case on Thursday.

Justice Ibrahim Saulawa of the Court of Appeal, Lagos, has withdrawn from the three man judges’ panel hearing the appeal filed by Major Hamza Al-Mustapha challenging his death sentence for the murder of Kudirat Abiola.
Mr. Saulawa referred to his experience in a previous “similar case” as the reason for his withdrawal.
Mr. Al-Mustapha was sentenced to death by a Lagos court for his involvement in the murder of Mrs. Abiola, wife of the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections, Moshood Abiola. Mr. Al-Mustapha, a former chief security officer to late dictator, Sani Abacha, challenged the death sentence at the appellate court.