Wife of Former Dictator Abacha Finally Breaks Silence on Looted Funds and IBB’s Annulment Claim

• Maryam Abacha, widow of former Nigerian military ruler Sani Abacha, has questioned allegations that her husband looted public funds, demanding concrete proof of the claims
• She argued that money Abacha saved for Nigeria mysteriously disappeared, while successive administrations have continued to recover funds allegedly stashed abroad
• Her comments reignite debates on Nigeria’s history of corruption, media responsibility, and the perception of Abacha’s legacy

Maryam Abacha, widow of Nigeria’s former military ruler, Sani Abacha, has disputed claims that her late husband stashed looted funds abroad, insisting that he safeguarded money for Nigeria, which was later misappropriated.

Speaking during an interview with TVC, Maryam demanded concrete proof of allegations that Abacha hid funds overseas.

Sani Abacha served as Nigeria’s military head of state from 1993 until his sudden death on June 8, 1998. In the years following his demise, successive administrations have announced the recovery of vast sums of money allegedly stashed in foreign accounts.

As of 2020, over three billion six hundred and twenty-four million dollars of Abacha loot had been recovered by four different Nigerian administrations.

In May 2022, the United Kingdom repatriated twenty-three million dollars reportedly taken out of Nigeria illegally by Abacha’s associates and family.

Three months later, the United States returned twenty million dollars to Nigeria, while France repatriated one hundred and fifty million dollars in 2023.

Maryam Abacha questions loot claims

During the interview, Maryam Abacha questioned the authenticity of claims that her husband misappropriated public funds, saying there was no credible witness to such alleged stashing of money 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.”

Maryam condemned the continued focus on Abacha in discussions about corruption, saying it exposed deeper societal issues.

“Why are you blaming somebody? Is that tribalism or a religious problem or what is the problem with Nigerians?” she queried.

She urged Nigerians to foster unity rather than division, imploring the media to focus on educating and informing the public rather than demonising individuals.

Nigerians listen to everything

Maryam Abacha criticised Nigerians for uncritically accepting narratives about her late husband’s alleged wrongdoing.

“And because Nigerians are fools, they listen to everything,” she remarked.

She argued that no single individual could determine Nigeria’s fate, whether it was Ibrahim Babangida, Sani Abacha, or MKO Abiola, emphasising that every citizen plays a role in shaping the nation.

Maryam also refuted claims that Abacha orchestrated the June 12 election annulment, stating that her husband had no direct involvement.

“All I know is that the annulment was not done by my husband,” she declared. “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.”

IBB shares particular moment he changed his name

Legit.ng earlier reported that former military president Ibrahim Babangida has shared the reason behind adding Babangida to his name in his newly released autobiography, A Journey in Service.

Babangida revealed that the decision was made due to frequent inquiries from his colleagues who often confused his name.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng