Former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, has said he could be arrested for speaking about what he described as the Nigeria’s worsening condition.

Al-Mustapha made the remark on Saturday while speaking at the third memorial conference held in honour of the late General Hassan Usman Katsina in Kaduna.

He expressed concern over the state of the nation, insisting that both Northern Nigeria and the country at large were facing deep-rooted challenges.

According to him, “[From] every child on the street to the elites, [we] know that the state of Nigeria is in a sorry state. The state of the North is totally hopeless. Speaking the truth to the situation is meant for patriots.”

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The former military intelligence officer also criticised the poor attendance of northern governors at the conference, noting that the theme, “From Sacrifice to Strategy,” should have drawn greater participation from leaders in the region.

Questioning their commitment to addressing the North’s challenges, he said, “They don’t have the thinking, they don’t have the sacrifice, they don’t also have strategy for the country.”

Al-Mustapha further accused political officeholders of failing to grasp the true meaning of leadership, arguing that the nation’s governance structure had deteriorated.

He stated,  “The system is rotten; those who are in leadership positions don’t even understand what leadership is all about.”

He concluded by declaring his readiness to bear any consequences for speaking openly about the country’s situation, maintaining that telling the truth remained a duty of every patriot.