Daily Independent Online.
*
Thursday, June 17, 2004.
Security breach: Court martial likely next week
• SIP ends investigation, submits report
By Chris Agbambu
Deputy
Bureau Chief,
Abuja
Strong indications have emerged that a
court martial may be constituted next week to try those allegedly implicated in
the national security breach which occurred in March.
This follows the submission on Wednesday
afternoon the report of the Special Investigation Panel (SIP) and the team of
legal experts that scrutinised the evidence against those said to be
implicated.
Daily Independent reported on
Tuesday that the report would be submitted at any time to the Chief of Defence
Staff, General Alexander Ogomudia, as multi sources had earlier disclosed that
the SIP had concluded investigations.
A source said the report was submitted to
Ogomudia who immediately helds a closed door meeting with members of the panel.
The parley lasted over two hours.
The panel included representatives of the
Army, Navy, Air Force, Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), State Security
Services (SSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the police.
It was learnt that Ogomudia will any moment
from now meet with the President and the national security adviser (NSA) on the
composition of the court martial.
Ogomudia, convener of the court martial,
will also receive the final report at the end of the proceedings before
presenting it to the security council.
The government in March raised the SIP to
investigate the breach and to fish out those behind it.
It declared Naval Commander Yakubu Kudambo
wanted in connection with the matter; however, Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief
Security Officer to late Head of State Sani Abacha is one of the few military
personnel and civilians being held over it.
The number of persons scheduled to appear before the court
martial is not clear, but defence sources said Mustapha is likely to be one of
them. Nigerians may be briefed on
the findings of the SIP next week.
