- Maryam Abacha, denies claims that her husband stole billions from Nigeria’s treasury.
- She describes the allegations as baseless and unjust.
- In a TVC interview, she attributes the accusations to misinformation and political bias.
Maryam Abacha, widow of Nigeria’s late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has strongly refuted ongoing claims that her husband stole billions of dollars from the country’s treasury during his time in power. She described these allegations as baseless and unjust.
In an interview on TVC’s Politics on Sunday with Femi Akande, Mrs. Abacha emphasized that the accusations were rooted in misinformation and political bias. She challenged the widespread belief that her late husband was responsible for embezzling public funds during his regime from 1993 to 1998.
She questioned, “Who is the witness of the monies that were being stashed? Did you see the signature or evidence of any money stashed abroad? And the money that my husband kept for Nigeria, in a few months, it vanished. Why are you blaming somebody?”
On the controversy surrounding the annulment of the 1993 presidential election, widely thought to have been won by MKO Abiola, Maryam Abacha denied her husband’s involvement, saying, “The annulment was not done by my husband. And if it was him, then that means he was more powerful than the President at the time. That means Abacha was the greatest. But I’m not here to talk about Babangida or anybody. All I know is that my husband didn’t do it.”
Mrs. Abacha also defended military governments, asserting they possess strength, structure, and decisiveness—qualities she believes civilian administrations often lack.
“No government can fail. Military governance is different, they have the will and the power. Maybe the civilians are not that strong. But the solution lies in cooperation,” she said.
Expressing concern about Nigeria’s persistent insecurity, including the Boko Haram insurgency and widespread banditry, she questioned why a country as well-resourced as Nigeria has not been able to overcome these challenges.
“I don’t know why insurgents have lingered this long. Other smaller nations have tackled theirs. We are bigger, richer, and more experienced,” she stated.
She urged the federal government to strengthen cooperation with the military, citing Nigerian troops’ successes in peacekeeping missions abroad.
“I believe in our military. I know they have what it takes to tackle the insurgents. If ECOMOG could bring peace to other countries, why can’t we have peace here?” she asked.
Maryam Abacha also lamented the growing ethnic and religious divisions within Nigeria and called on citizens to rise above tribal and religious differences to foster national peace.
“Why are we so bad towards each other? Because someone is a Northerner or Southerner? A Muslim or a Christian? It’s not fair,” she said.
She concluded with a passionate appeal for patriotism, unity, and truthful journalism.
“Let’s pray for our country. Let’s be good to our leaders and say good things. The press should be truthful and help build the nation, not destroy people’s reputations,” she added.
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