Maryam Abacha, widow of former military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, insists her late husband did not steal from Nigeria. In an interview with TVC, she claimed that the funds her husband set aside for the country were misappropriated after his death in 1998.
Challenging longstanding accusations, Maryam asked for evidence to support the claim that Abacha looted public funds and stashed them abroad.
“Who are the witnesses to this alleged stash? Did anyone see his signature or any concrete evidence? The money he kept for Nigeria disappeared within months of his passing, yet no one talks about that,” she said.
General Sani Abacha ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his sudden death on June 8, 1998. Over the years, successive Nigerian governments have recovered significant sums allegedly looted by him. By 2020, over $3.6 billion had been retrieved, with additional recoveries including $23 million from the UK in 2022, $20 million from the U.S. a few months later, and $150 million from France in 2023.
“Nigerians Are Too Quick to Believe Lies”
Maryam expressed frustration at what she perceives as a national tendency to accept negative narratives without question.
“Why blame one man repeatedly? Is it tribalism? Religion? What’s the real problem?” she asked.
“I pray for Nigerians. We should stop lying and blaming others. Why do we tear each other down — just because someone is a northerner or a southerner, a Muslim or a Christian? It’s unfair.”
She called on the media to focus on nation-building, rather than perpetuating what she views as unsubstantiated accusations.
“The press should educate, inform, and help this country — not destroy people’s legacies,” she said. “You’re still talking about Abacha 27 years later — that must mean he was powerful and loved.”
Maryam also defended her husband’s economic record, pointing to increased foreign reserves and reduced external debt during his tenure. She questioned the logic behind claims of theft during that period.
“So where exactly did he steal from?” she asked.
Dismisses recovered loot claims
She rejected the widely accepted view that billions were recovered from Abacha’s foreign accounts.
“Nigerians are fools — they believe everything,” she said bluntly.
“No one person, not Babangida, not Abacha, makes or unmakes Nigeria. Every citizen matters — even the man on the street.”
On the June 12 election annulment
Maryam also denied her husband’s involvement in the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election — widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest.
According to former president Ibrahim Babangida, the annulment was announced without his direct approval. But Maryam insists her husband had no part in it.
“If Abacha had orchestrated that, it means he was more powerful than the president himself — and that would make him the greatest,” she said.
