Maryam Abacha, wife of late former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has dismissed long-standing claims that her husband looted Nigeria’s treasury during his time in office, saying there is no concrete evidence to support the allegations.
Speaking in an interview with TVC, the former First Lady questioned the basis of the widespread belief that her husband siphoned billions of dollars abroad.
“Who is the witness of the monies that were being stashed? Did you see the signature or the evidence of any monies stashed abroad?” she queried.
Mrs. Abacha claimed that rather than looting, her husband secured funds for the country, which, according to her, vanished shortly after his death.
“And the monies that my husband kept for Nigeria, in a few months, the monies vanished. People are not talking about that,” she added.
She criticised what she described as an unfair and continued focus on her husband nearly three decades after his passing, questioning the motives behind the consistent scrutiny.
“Why are you blaming somebody? Is that tribalism or a religious problem or what is the problem with Nigerians?” she asked. “Why are we so bad towards each other? Because somebody is a northerner or a southerner, somebody is a Muslim or a Christian… It’s not fair.”
Mrs. Abacha also faulted the media, urging journalists to redirect their energies toward nation-building rather than rehashing old allegations.
“People are not that bad. Twenty-seven years ago, and you are still talking about Abacha. He must be very powerful and loved by Nigerians. We thank God for that,” she said.
While responding to comments about the relative economic stability during her husband’s regime—such as growth in foreign reserves and reduced external debt—Mrs. Abacha maintained that there was no wrongdoing on his part.
“So, where did he steal the money from? So where would he have stolen the money from?” she asked. “And because Nigerians are fools, they listen to everything.”
She called on Nigerians to embrace unity and show mutual respect across ethnic and religious lines.
“Babangida doesn’t make Nigeria alone. Abacha does not make Nigeria alone. Abiola and everybody, nobody is big enough for Nigeria. Even the single man on the street is very important. We are all human beings, for goodness’ sake. All these wahala should stop,” she said.
