Introduction In a landmark ruling on January 22, 2026, Nigeria's Supreme Court definitively closed the decades-long murder case involving the 1996 assassination of Alhaja Kudirat Abiola , wife of acclaimed June 12, 1993 presidential election winner MKO Abiola. The apex court dismissed Lagos State's appeal against the acquittal of Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd), former Chief Security Officer to late Head of State General Sani Abacha , effectively freeing him from further prosecution. This decision ends a protracted legal saga spanning nearly 30 years. But what prompted the Supreme Court to take this step? This SEO article examines the primary reasons behind the ruling. Three (3) Reasons Why Supreme Court Closes Kudirat Abiola’s Murder Case, Frees Al-Mustapha 1. Prolonged Inaction and Abandonment by Lagos State The core reason for the Supreme Court's decision was Lagos State's inexcusable delay and abandonment of its appeal. In 2013, the Court of Appeal discharged and acqu...