ABUJA, Nigeria — Maryam Abacha, widow of Nigeria’s late military ruler General Sani Abacha, has strongly denied long-standing allegations that her husband looted public funds, insisting instead that he saved money for the country — funds she claims were misappropriated after his death.
Speaking in a rare interview with TVC to mark the 27th anniversary of Abacha’s death, Maryam challenged successive Nigerian governments to produce concrete evidence that the late head of state stashed illicit wealth abroad.
“Who is the witness of the monies that were being stashed?” she asked.
“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.”
Abacha ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his sudden death in office on 8 June 1998.
Over the years, numerous reports by the Nigerian government and international watchdogs have confirmed the recovery of large sums of money allegedly laundered through foreign banks during his regime.
By 2020, over $3.6 billion had been recovered by four Nigerian administrations.
These included recoveries of $23 million by the United Kingdom in 2022, $20 million by the United States the same year, and a further $150 million returned by France in 2023.
However, Mrs Abacha dismissed the reports, questioning the credibility of the allegations and accusing Nigerians of being misled.
“And because Nigerians are fools, they listen to everything,” 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. Even the single man on the street is very important. We are all human beings, for goodness’ sake. All these wahala should stop.”
She also described the persistent focus on Abacha’s legacy as unfair, attributing it to tribalism or religious bias.
“Why are you blaming somebody? Is that tribalism or a religious problem or what is the problem with Nigerians?” she asked.
Maryam defended her late husband’s record, noting that Nigeria’s economy saw improvements under his rule.
“So, where did he steal the money from?” she questioned.
“So where would he have stolen the money from?”
In the interview, she also addressed the contentious June 12, 1993, election annulment — widely regarded as the freest and fairest in Nigerian history.
In his memoir A Journey in Service, former military president Ibrahim Babangida stated that the election was annulled without his authorisation.
Maryam, however, rejected suggestions that Abacha played a role in the decision.
“All I know is that the annulment was not done by my husband,” she said.
“If it was him, that means he was very powerful… even more powerful than the president. If the president was there and somebody else is calling the shots, that means Abacha was the greatest.”
She also directed criticism at the Nigerian media, accusing journalists of fuelling public resentment.
“I think the press should try… 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,” she said.
“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.”
