Politics
Abiola’s Children Sue FG Over Kudirat’s Murder
The children of the late Mrs Kudirat Abiola have filed a suit against President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
They dragged the administration to the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Abuja over the unlawful killing of their mother, Late Mrs Abiola.
The suit ECW/CCJ/APP/62/2022 filed on Tuesday by Femi Falana SAN on their behalf read, “The applicants aver that Late Mrs. Kudirat Abiola was married to the late Chief M.K.O Abiola, a Nigerian and community citizen. Chief M.K.O. Abiola contested and won the presidential election held in Nigeria on June 12, 1993. The selection which was adjudged fair and free by local (and international election observers) was annulled by the Ibrahim Babangida military junta without any legal justification.
“Instead of relinquishing power to the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola, the Ibrahim Babangida junta illegally installed an Interim National Government headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan on August 27, 1993. On November 10, 1993, the Lagos State High Court declared the interim national government illegal, null and void.
“On November 17, General Sani Abacha removed the illegal interim national government and declared himself the military head of state. In June 1994, Chief M.K.O. Abiola was arrested for announcing himself as the elected president of Nigeria on the basis of the June 12, 1992 presidential election won by him.
“The Sani Abacha military junta charged Chief M.K.O. Abiola with treasonable felony and detained him in solitary confinement in an undisclosed detention centre for four years without trial. Chief Abiola’s wife, Mrs. Kudirat Abiola led a campaign for the unconditional release of her husband from illegal custody and inauguration as the elected President of Nigeria.
“Angered by her pro-campaign campaign, the Sani Abacha military junta decided to assassinate Mrs. Kudirat Abiola. On June 4, 1996, Mrs Kudirat Abiola was shot dead in her car at Oregun area in Lagos, Nigeria by unknown gunmen.
“The military government condemned the assassination of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola and announced its plan to investigate the arrest and prosecute the murderers. But in order to divert public attention from the actual murderers the military regime arrested some political allies and family members of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola, detained them briefly and released them”.
“Following the restoration of civil rule in May 1999, the Olusegun Obasanjo Administration set up the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Commission of Enquiry to investigate the gross human rights abuse that occurred during the defunct military rule from 1966-1999. In a petition submitted to the Oputa Panel the Applicants requested for investigation of the circumstances surrounding the brutal killing of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola by a gang of gunmen in Lagos on June 4, 1996.
“During the sitting of the Oputa panel in Lagos on December 8, 2000 Sergeant Barnabas Jabila (a.k.a. Sergeant Rogers), a member of the killer squad set up by the Sani Abacha junta confessed that he shot Mrs. Kudirat Abiola dead and attempted to kill the late Senator Abraham Adesanya and Alex Ibru by shooting them on the instructions of the Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, the chief security officer of General Sani Abacha, from November 1993 to June 1998.
“The evidence of Sergeant Rogers was not challenged by Major Al-Mustapha and his lawyers as they did not cross examine the witness because of the veracity of his evidence. A copy of the videotape of the oral testimony of Sergeant Rogers is hereby attached and marked Exhibit A.
“Major Al-Mustapha and some members of the killer squad were charged with conspiracy to murder and accessory after the fact to murder Mrs. Kudirat Abiola at the Lagos High Court. At the end of the trial, the defendants were convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola by the Lagos High Court.
“But the appeal filed by the convicts against the judgment of the Lagos High Court was allowed by the Court of Appeal which freed them on technical grounds.”
“The Supreme Court of Nigeria has granted leave to the Lagos State Government to appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal and the appeal which has been filed is currently pending at the Supreme Court.
“In Mohammed Abacha the State (2002) 31 WRN 1, the Supreme Court quashed the charge on the grounds that the appellant was not implicated in the murder of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola.”
“The apex court said that Major Al-Mustapha was properly charged with conspiracy, murder and accessory after the fact to murder Mrs. Kudirat Abiola but queried why Sergeant Barnabas Jabila (a.k.a Rogers), Mohammed Abdul (a.k.a Katako) and Aminu Mohammed, who actually killed Mrs. Kudirat Abiola were not charged with murder.
“In spite of the finding of the Supreme Court the defendant has not charged Sergeant Barnabas Jabila (a.k.a Rogers), Mohammed Abdul (a.k.a Katako) and Aminu Mohammed with the murder of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola in any court of law.
“The applicants aver that the killing of Mrs. Kudirat Abiola by the armed agents of the defendant is illegal and a violation of her human rights to life and dignity.”
“The father of the Applicants, Chief M.K.O. Abiola was reported to have died in military custody on July 7, 1998. The Oputa Panel recommended that the suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of Chief Abiola be investigated but the defendant has refused to implement the recommendation.”
“In recognition of the presidential election won by Chief Abiola on June 12, 1993, the Federal Government has conferred the national honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR) on him posthumously and declared June 12 as a public holiday in Nigeria”
Furthermore, they are arguing that, “the failure or refusal of the defendant to protect the life of Late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola in the Republic of Nigeria amounts to a violation of Articles 1,4,5,18 and 23 of the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The Senate yesterday received the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, marking the formal launch of the 2026 federal budget cycle.
In a letter addressed to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the submission complies with statutory requirements and sets out the fiscal parameters that will guide the preparation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
He explained that the MTEF/FSP outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue projections, and spending priorities that will shape Nigeria’s fiscal direction over the next three years.
The letter was read during plenary by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the document.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the 2026 to 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the kind consideration and approval of the Senate.
“The 2026 to 2028 MTEF and FSP were approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of December 3, 2025, and the 2026 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions therein,” the President stated.
Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the fiscal projections, pegging the oil benchmark price at $64.85 per barrel and adopting a budget exchange rate of ?1,512/$1 for 2026—figures expected to significantly shape revenue forecasts and expenditure planning.
After reading the President’s letter, Jibrin referred the document to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), with a directive to submit its report by Wednesday, December 17.
The Senate adjourned shortly after to allow committees to commence scrutiny of the fiscal framework and continue the ongoing screening of ambassadorial nominees.
Tinubu’s communication to the Senate came less than 24 hours after he transmitted the same MTEF/FSP documents to the leadership of the House of Representatives.
The letter was read on the House floor by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who also urged timely legislative action as required by law.
The MTEF and FSP are statutory instruments mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and serve as the blueprint for Nigeria’s annual budgets.
They outline the government’s fiscal stance, macroeconomic assumptions, revenue frameworks, projected deficits, and sectoral priorities over a three-year period.
The Tide reports that approval by the National Assembly is a prerequisite for the executive to present the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
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