Maryam Abacha, widow of Nigeria’s former military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has again denied widespread allegations that her late husband looted billions of dollars during his time in office, insisting that no credible evidence has ever been presented to support the claims.
Speaking in an interview with TVC monitored by THE WHISTLER, Mrs. Abacha challenged the Nigerian government, media, and critics to produce verifiable proof that her husband siphoned public funds into foreign accounts.
“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.
General Sani Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his sudden death in 1998, has long been accused of orchestrating one of the most extensive state-led looting operations in Africa’s history.
Since his death, successive administrations have recovered over $3.6 billion linked to the late dictator from jurisdictions including Switzerland, the United States, Jersey, and the United Kingdom.
Yet, Mrs. Abacha has consistently maintained her husband’s innocence, arguing that the narrative surrounding the so-called Abacha loot has been politically manipulated and sustained by misinformation.
“And the monies that my husband kept for Nigeria, in a few months, the monies vanished. People are not talking about that,” she said, suggesting that any funds her husband may have secured for the country were mismanaged or stolen after his death.
Mrs. Abacha questioned the continued focus on her husband’s legacy more than two decades after his passing.
“Why are you blaming somebody? Is that tribalism or a religious problem or what is the problem with Nigerians?” she asked.
“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.”
She also took aim at the media, urging journalists to uphold their responsibility to inform the public fairly rather than tarnish reputations.
“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.”
While critics often describe the Abacha regime as oppressive and corrupt, some Nigerians remember it for relative economic stability, low external debt, and infrastructural developments.
Mrs. Abacha echoed this sentiment, recalling a time of stronger national reserves and internal control over Nigeria’s economy.
“So where did he steal the money from?” she asked. “And because Nigerians are fools, they listen to everything.”
She also called for unity and a sense of collective dignity in national discourse.
“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.
“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.”
As recently as 2020, Nigeria recovered $311 million from the United States and Jersey, part of an ongoing effort to repatriate stolen assets.
