PRISON NOTES NOT MINE - YAKASAI

Colonel Ibrahim Yakasai was at one time personal physician to Gen. Sanni Abacha,  before he was entangled in the power intrigues of his  regime. He was imprisoned as a consequence of the power struggles of that era and regained his freedom in 2003. He is, however, famously known as 'Dr. Death' on account of his alleged role in some of the yet unfolding insidious actions of that regime. Dr. Yakasai in this interview giv  es his own account of some of the events of that time.While he disowns the alleged prison notes that revealed the actions of the Abacha killer squad once credited to him, Dr. Yakasai, however, shies away from commenting on issues now surrounding his one time ally turned foe, Major al-Mustapha: Excerpts

In 1999, you authored a prison note while in incarceration that allegedly indicted top operatives of the Abacha regime, and

(Cuts in) As far as I am concerned, I have not written any prison notes, and have not granted interview or licensed anybody to write anything about my experience while in detention. The year you mention I was under incarceration in Owerri prison, and at a time then Police came in several number and showed me a magazine, and I told them I was just seeing it for the first time , and didnt know anything about it. They spent two weeks questioning me on that and I repeatedly told them I didn't know anything about it. I have never granted interview or given any prison notes, they can go and ask the publishers and anybody concerned, and I have no hand in it at all and what ever it contained.

Who then do you suspect to be behind it?
It is very difficult to say that you don't have an enemy. It could be the job of an adversary that may want to undo me or the people he mentioned in the prison note and that may be the only reason. What I do know is that it is the handiwork of an enemy who wants to settle scores with other people or with me. Allah knows I have nothing with it and that has remained my position over time.

Do you intend to seek redress in court against the publication?

I was incarcerated for three and half years, and was released in 2003 by General Obasanjo's administration, and they told me I had no case to answer.

My incarceration for whatever reasons is from God, God tested my faith, and when the trial was over I was set free, and I will not make case with anyone on the basis of that publication. The police did their investigations, and they are undoubtedly the highest authority in the country, and they could not establish a case against me on the controversial prison notes, which indeed settled the matter. Whoever wants to use that offensive publication should look at the outcome of the police investigations before making any move. The investigation vindicated me, and that was why they left me alone.

What is your comment on the ongoing trial of Major Al Mustapha that has entered 13 years now?

I don't have comment on that. As I told you earlier whatever happens to man remains a matter of destiny, it usually has a time frame and when it is over you regain your freedom at the appointed time. As a Muslim I believe in destiny.