Mariam Abacha, widow of the late General Sani Abacha, has urged Nigerians to stop accusing her late husband of looting public funds, insisting that the long-standing allegations are false and unfounded.
Speaking in an interview on TVC’s Politics on Sunday with Femi Akande, Mrs. Abacha described the accusations as unjust and fueled by misinformation. “People keep lying against him,” she said. “My husband never stole from Nigeria.”
General Abacha, who ruled Nigeria from 1993 until his death on June 8, 1998, has remained a controversial figure. Since his passing, successive Nigerian governments have reported recovering large sums of money allegedly looted during his regime. As of 2020, over $3.6 billion attributed to the so-called Abacha loot had been repatriated from various countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. Most recently, France returned $150 million in 2023.
However, Mrs. Abacha questioned the credibility of the evidence behind these claims. “Who witnessed the alleged stash? Where are the signatures or documents proving he kept money abroad?” she asked.
She also alleged that the funds her husband left behind for the country were misappropriated after his death. “The money my husband secured for Nigeria disappeared within months. No one talks about that,” she said, hinting at mismanagement by later administrations.
Challenging the motives behind the continued vilification of her husband, she said, “Why are you blaming someone who is no longer here? Is it tribalism? Is it religious bias? What is the real issue with Nigerians?”
She called for a more compassionate national discourse: “We must stop spreading lies and blaming others. Nigerians need to have goodness in their hearts.”
Criticising the media’s role, Mrs. Abacha urged journalists to educate rather than destroy reputations. “Twenty-seven years after his death, people are still talking about Abacha. He must have been truly powerful and loved by Nigerians. We thank God for that,” she said.
On comments regarding the economic stability under her husband’s rule — which featured a rise in foreign reserves and lower external debt — she reiterated that there was no evidence of embezzlement.
“So where did he steal the money from?” she asked pointedly. “Nigerians just believe everything they hear. It’s not fair.”
Mrs. Abacha concluded with a call for unity, noting that no single leader is greater than the nation. “No one person makes Nigeria — not Babangida, not Abacha, not Abiola. Even the ordinary man on the street matters. We are all human beings. This hostility needs to end.”
