Femi Falana, human rights advocate, has called on the
federal government to reopen investigation into the disappearance of Bagauda
Kaltho, a journalist.
Kaltho, a journalist with The News magazine at the time, was
said to have disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1996.
The journalist’s disappearance is steeped in conspiracy
theories. There is the claim that he was killed in a bomb explosion at Dubar
Hotel in Kaduna in 1995.
There is another claim that the journalist was killed during
the military regime of Sani Abacha.
Recently, Mahdi Shehu, an activist, in an interview on ARISE
TV, claimed he refused to take a parcel bomb given to him by Russel Hanks,
identified as an American ex-envoy, at Hamdala Hotel in Kaduna, in 1995.
Shehu alleged that the envoy said he should take the parcel
bomb to Durbar Hotel, Kaduna, adding that after he rejected the parcel, Kaltho
came into the hotel room of the envoy and hours later, a bomb explosion
occurred at the hotel.
The activist’s comments have ignited a fresh debate on the
disappearance of Kaltho.
Joining the fray, Falana, in a statement, said the Oputa
panel, set up by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to investigate human rights
abuses under the military, entertained the petition submitted by Kaltho’s
family on the disappearance of the journalist.
The human rights lawyer said Shehu’s claim is totally
different from the account of officials of the military regime during the Oputa
panel.
“During the sittings of the Oputa Panel in Lagos and Abuja,
some members of the official killer squad set up by the Sani Abacha junta,
confessed that they killed some Nigerian citizens and attempted to kill others
on the instructions of the military junta,” Falana said.
“They also admitted their involvement in the burning of
houses and bombing attacks unleashed on opponents of that military rule.
Throughout the proceedings of the Oputa Panel, the defenders of the Abacha
murderous regime could not extricate themselves from the brutal killing of Dele
Giwa and Bagauda Kaltho.
“However, at the
sitting of the Oputa Panel in Kano in 2001, Mr. Zakari Biu claimed that Bagauda
Kaltho was given the bomb that killed him by me and the management staff of
TheNEWS, TEMPO and PMNEWS, namely Bayo Onanuga, Dapo Olorunyomi, Kunle Ajibade,
and Babafemi Ojudu.
“I appeared at the Oputa Panel in Kano and subjected Biu to
rigorous examination during which he admitted that he was fed with the wicked
tissue of lies by the State Security Service concerning our involvement. You
can see Falana vs Zakari Biu – Oputa Panel on YouTube.
“But the SSS refused to corroborate Biu’s testimony. It was
all found to be a figment of Mr. Zakari Biu’s imagination. In its report the
Oputa Panel had recommended that the case of disappearance of Bagauda Kaltho be
reopened for investigation.
“Since the version of Mahdi Shehu on the disappearance of
Bagauda Kaltho is totally different from the official account of the defunct
military junta, the case ought to be reopened for full investigation.
“More so, that the then military administrator of Kaduna State, Colonel Jaffar Isa (rtd) mentioned by Mahdi Shehu has denied knowledge of the Arise Television story.”
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