Sofolahan disowns Kudirat Abiola •Says, I never worked with her

ALHAJI Lateef Shofolahan, currently standing trial with Major Hamza al-Mustapha over alleged conspiracy in the killing of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, has said that he learnt about the woman’s death just like any other person, because it was a national issue.
While giving his evidence on Wednesday before Justice Mojisola Dada of a Lagos High Court as the second defence witness in the case, Shofolahan insisted that he didn’t know whether she was shot dead or not.
He told the court that he did not attend her funeral because area boys took over the whole of Ikeja.
Shofolahan, while responding to a question from the defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo, on whether or not he knew the late Kudirat Abiola said, “I knew her when we campaigned at HOPE ’93. She usually came in the company of Dr Doyin Abiola and Bisi for campaign materials. I never worked with Alhaja Abiola. I was never her personal assistant or driver.
Nobody from Abiola’s house can come and testify that I worked for her.”
Speaking further, he said: “I begged the woman that headed the SIP, Mrs Ojomo, that she should invite Abiola’s family to identify me as having worked with the late Kudirat Abiola. My Lord, before I was taken before her, I begged her and people that I had never worked there. They said they would do, but they never did. I never worked with the late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola, either as a personal assistant, a driver or in any capacity.”
The witness disclosed that before he joined the HOPE ’93 campaign train of the late Chief MKO Abiola, he was a beer distributor for the Nigerian Breweries and Guinness.
Speaking on his schedule at HOPE ’93, Shofolahan said “I gave accommodation to people at Gateway Hotel. After sometime, I was moved back to HOPE ’93 to be in charge of gifts, posters and campaign materials.”
“When the election was cancelled in 1993, at the end of July 1993, everybody was paid off. After the closure of HOPE ‘93 by Dr Jonathan Zwingina, I went back to my shop at 12, Abeokuta Road, Mushin. My business name was ‘September 10 Enterprises.’ I have been in beer business since 1986,” he added.
The witness stated further that he had no other work until 1998, when he joined Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s campaign for the 1999 presidential election during which he stayed at Chief Obasanjo’s Ota farm throughout.
“When Obasanjo won the election, I moved to the Villa. I started working as a [member of] staff until they came to arrest me. Even, Obasanjo’s aide, Bodunde and Chief Fasawe confirmed that I was a [member of] staff.”
Throwing light on what led to his arrest on October 8, 1999, Shofolahan said he was working at the Presidential Villa when he was arrested over allegation that he was using the name of former President Obasanjo to collect money from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).