Maryam Abacha, widow of the late former Nigerian military head of state, General Sani Abacha, has said her husband didn’t embezzle public funds.
While speaking during an interview with TVC, Maryam said the money Abacha set aside for Nigeria was instead, looted after his death.
Maryam challenged the accusations against her husband, questioning the authenticity of claims that he hid billions abroad.
She said, “ Who is the witness of the monies that were being stashed?”
“Did you see the signature or the evidence of any monies stashed abroad? And the monies that my husband kept for Nigeria, in a few months, the monies vanished. People are not talking about that.”
General Abacha ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death on June 8, 1998. Since then, several administrations have announced the recovery of large sums—collectively referred to as the “Abacha loot”—allegedly siphoned from public coffers and stored in foreign bank accounts.
By 2020, over $3.6 billion had been recovered from Abacha-linked accounts across jurisdictions. In 2022, the United Kingdom repatriated $23 million, while the United States returned another $20 million that same year. In 2023, France followed suit with $150 million.
Maryam Abacha however stands firm that her husband was framed and expressed dismay that Nigerians continue to vilify him decades after his death.
She said, “ “Why are you blaming somebody? Is that tribalism or a religious problem or what is the problem with Nigerians?”
“I pray for Nigerians. I pray for all of us. I pray that we should have goodness in our hearts. We should stop telling lies and blaming people.”
“Why are we so bad towards each other?
Because somebody is a northerner or a southerner, somebody is a Muslim or a Christian, or somebody is nice or… It’s not fair.”
The widow further criticised the media’s role in perpetuating negative narratives.
She said, “ I think the press should try, the press, you, the press, should try to educate the people.”
“You are here to educate the people, to inform the people and to entertain. You are here to help the country. You are not here to bastardise people. People are not that bad. 27 years ago and you are still talking about Abacha. He must be very powerful and loved by Nigerians. We thank God for that.”
Maryam also responded to remarks that Nigeria’s economy was more stable under Abacha, citing increased foreign reserves and reduced debt.
She further expressed frustration over the alleged gullibility of the public saying “ And because Nigerians are fools, they listen to everything.”
“Babangida doesn’t make Nigeria alone. Abacha does not make Nigeria alone. Abiola and everybody, nobody is big enough for Nigeria. We are all very important.”
“Even the single man on the street is very important. We are all human beings, for goodness sake. All these wahala should stop.
Babangida cannot make things or unmake things.”
