Former First Lady Maryam Abacha has broken her silence on long-standing allegations of treasury looting against her late husband, General Sani Abacha, describing them as fabrications and misrepresentations fueled by tribal and political bias.
Speaking in an exclusive interview aired on TVC on Sunday, the widow of Nigeria’s former military ruler dismissed claims that her husband stole billions of dollars from the country’s coffers during his regime, insisting that no credible evidence has been presented to support such accusations.
General Sani Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his sudden death in 1998, has remained one of the most controversial figures in the country’s political history.
Since his demise on June 8, 1998, successive administrations have recovered vast sums of money linked to him from foreign jurisdictions including Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom—funds widely referred to as the “Abacha loot.”
But Mrs. Abacha, in the interview marking the 27th anniversary of her husband’s death, challenged the prevailing narrative and accused Nigerians of being misled by falsehoods.
“Who is the witness of the monies that were being stashed? Did you see the signature or any evidence of monies stashed abroad?” she queried.
“And the monies my husband kept for Nigeria—within a few months, they vanished. Nobody is talking about that.”
She argued that the consistent targeting of her husband reflects deeper issues within the Nigerian society.
“Why are you blaming somebody? Is it tribalism or a religious problem? What exactly is the issue with Nigerians?” she asked, expressing dismay at what she described as a culture of blame and dishonesty.
The former First Lady, visibly emotional, lashed out at what she called the gullibility of the Nigerian populace.
“And because Nigerians are fools, they listen to everything. Babangida doesn’t make Nigeria alone. Abacha didn’t make Nigeria alone. Even the single man on the street is very important,” she said.
She further rejected the widely held belief that her husband played a key role in the annulment of the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, which was presumed to have been won by late MKO Abiola.
“All I know is that the annulment was not done by my husband,” she stated. “If it was him, that means he was more powerful than the president. And if the president was there while someone else was calling the shots, then Abacha was the greatest.”
Maryam Abacha’s comments come amid renewed public discourse on her husband’s legacy, with many Nigerians still divided over his role in the country’s political and economic history.
'
'
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
