Maryam Abacha, widow of former military Head of State General Sani Abacha, has boldly rejected long-standing allegations. She insists her late husband did not loot billions of dollars during his time in office, stating there is no credible evidence to support these claims. Speaking in a recent interview with TVC on Sunday, Mrs. Abacha challenged the narrative surrounding her husband’s legacy. She openly questioned the very foundation of the accusations against him.

She directly questioned the basis of the accusations, asking, “Who is the witness of the monies that were being stashed? Did you see the signature or the evidence of any monies stashed abroad?” Furthermore, Maryam Abacha made a striking counter-claim. She alleged that significant funds her husband supposedly “secured for Nigeria” disappeared shortly after his death. “And the monies that my husband kept for Nigeria, in a few months, the monies vanished. People are not talking about that,” she lamented.

Mrs. Abacha also expressed strong criticism regarding the continuous focus on her husband. This scrutiny persists nearly three decades after his passing. She questioned the motivations behind such persistent attention. “Why are you blaming somebody? Is that tribalism or a religious problem or what is the problem with Nigerians?” she asked. “Why are we so bad towards each other? Because somebody is a northerner or a southerner, somebody is a Muslim or a Christian… It’s not fair.” She also urged the media to play a more constructive role in national discourse.

Responding to comments about Nigeria’s relatively stable economy during her husband’s rule—a period marked by increased foreign reserves and reduced external debt—Mrs. Abacha reiterated her position. She maintained there was no wrongdoing. She challenged the public’s perception directly: “So, where did he steal the money from? So where would he have stolen the money from?” She then declared, “And because Nigerians are fools, they listen to everything.” She concluded with a passionate plea for national unity and mutual respect, stating, “Babangida doesn’t make Nigeria alone. Abacha does not make Nigeria alone. Abiola and everybody, nobody is big enough for Nigeria. Even the single man on the street is very important. We are all human beings, for goodness sake. All these wahala should stop.”

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