Speaking from personal experience, Ogebe alleged that powerful individuals have benefited from institutional failures, allowing grave human rights abuses to be watered down or overturned through weak accountability mechanisms.
According to Ogebe, his involvement in the struggle for justice following Kudirat Abiola’s assassination came at a severe personal cost.
He recounted being detained at Aso Rock on the orders of the Chief Security Officer during the military era, an experience he said was intended to intimidate and silence him.
Ogebe argued that the system at the time was deliberately structured to protect perpetrators while punishing those who dared to demand justice for victims.
Ogebe accused Major Hamza al-Mustapha of being a direct beneficiary of what he described as Nigeria’s chronic institutional dysfunction.
In his view, the prolonged and controversial legal journey of the case reflected not justice delayed, but justice deliberately weakened.
He also criticized the judiciary, alleging that the trial judge handling the matter had a troubling record of incompetence, drawing parallels with other controversial cases, including the Sunday Jackson case.
To Ogebe, these patterns illustrated a justice system struggling with credibility and consistency.
Sharing his personal ordeal, Ogebe said his persecution under the regime of the late military ruler, Sani Abacha, was directly linked to his unwavering advocacy for a woman he said was murdered by the state.
In his words, “I was tortured by Sani Abacha for advocating for a woman who was murdered by the state, Kudirat Abiola, yet the appeal court overturned the death sentence imposed on Major Mustafa after the atrocities he perpetuated.”
The statement underscored his belief that while activists endured repression, those accused of grave crimes often benefited from technical loopholes and political influence.
Ogebe’s remarks have reignited public debate about accountability, judicial integrity, and the long shadow cast by Nigeria’s military past.
For many observers, his testimony serves as a reminder that the struggle for justice in cases like Kudirat Abiola’s murder is not merely historical but deeply connected to present-day governance and the rule of law.
He warned that without meaningful reforms, transparency, and genuine independence of the judiciary, Nigeria risks repeating a cycle where power shields perpetrators while silencing voices that speak for the victims.
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