Lagos - Sgt Barnabas Jabila, alias Rogers, of the General Sani Abacha Strike Force, yesterday, stunned the Lagos High Court when he said he committed no offense in shooting Alhaja Kudirat Abiola; The Guardian Publisher, Mr. Felix Ibru; and leader of Afenifere, Senator Abraham Adesanya. He declared that he simply did it for the State.

Another Lagos High Court yesterday reserved judgment sine die in the conspiracy and attempted murder charges preferred against former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Ishaya Bamaiyi.

Jabila under cross-examination at the resumed hearing in the attempted murder charge against Aminu Mohammed and Lateef Sofolahan (personal aide to the late Kudirat Abiola) said he was merely doing what he was employed to do for the State.

Rogers had in his evidence-in-chief earlier in the month said Adesanya, the late Chief Bola Ige, Chief Segun Osoba, Chief Ibru and the late Kudirat Abiola were at the time considered enemies of the state.

He said the Strike Force carried out most of its operations under the supervision of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Chief Security Officer (SCO) to the late Abacha.

Rogers who was being cross-examined yesterday by counsel to Mohammed, Mr James Ocholi (SAN), said he did not believe he committed any offence by shooting Kudirat and others they targeted at the time, because he was carrying out a duty assigned to him by the State, insisting that as a member of the Strike Force, he had a duty to carry out any assignment given to him.

Asked why he obeyed the alleged orders to shoot the individuals they attempted to kill at the point in time, Rogers who admitted that he was in the Army and attached to the State House said as a servant of the state, he had to obey whatever he was ordered to do.

Asked if he was happy that the State had not filed a charge against him or he thought that he committed no offense in all the assassination assignments he undertook, he responded: “I have not committed any offense. I have committed no offense. I was working for the State.”

Asked if he had been told by the State Security Service (SSS) or any other body that what he did was an offense, he responded: “They have not told me. They said I should just say what happened and what I did during the Abacha’s government.”

He was further asked: “To the best of your knowledge, was there any plot between the accused persons (Mohammed and Sofolahon) to commit any crime?” Rogers responded: “No.”
Further hearing in the matter was adjourned to April

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