Maryam Abacha, the widow of former military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has rejected persistent claims that her late husband embezzled billions of dollars while in power. She insisted there is no evidence to support the accusations that public funds were stashed abroad during his regime.
Mrs. Abacha demanded concrete proof that her husband stashed public funds in foreign accounts. “Who is the witness of the monies that were being stashed? Did you see the signature or the evidence of any monies stashed abroad?” she asked.
Mrs Abacha further claimed that the funds her husband reportedly secured for Nigeria “vanished” 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 told TVC in a recent interview, implying mismanagement by subsequent administrations.
Questioning the motivations behind the continued focus on her husband’s legacy, she said, “Why are you blaming somebody? Is that tribalism or a religious problem or what is the problem with Nigerians?
“I pray for Nigerians. I pray for all of us. I pray that we should have goodness in our hearts. We should stop telling lies and blaming people.
“Why are we so bad towards each other? Because somebody is a northerner or a southerner, somebody is a Muslim or a Christian, or somebody is nice or… It’s not fair.”
Mrs. Abacha also criticised the media, urging journalists to “educate the people” rather than “bastardise people.”
She added, “People are not that bad. 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.”
Responding to a remark about the relatively stable economy during her husband’s regime, marked by rising foreign reserves and lower external debt, she reiterated her denial of any wrongdoing, urging critics to present verifiable evidence.
“So, where did he steal the money from? So where would he have stolen the money from?” She asked. “And because Nigerians are fools, they listen to everything.”
Mrs Abacha emphasised the importance of unity and respect for all Nigerians, saying, “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. Babangida cannot make things or unmake things.”
