The widow of former military Head of State General Sani Abacha, Maryam Abacha, has denied long-standing accusations that her late husband embezzled billions of dollars while in government, stating that there is no reliable proof to back up the charges.
In an interview with TVC on Sunday, Mrs. Abacha questioned the veracity of the charges and contested the storyline around her husband’s legacy.”Who is the person who witnessed the money being hidden? Have you seen the proof or the signature of any money that was hidden overseas? She enquired. She further said that soon after her husband’s death, the money he had obtained for Nigeria vanished.
And within a few months, the money my husband had saved for Nigeria disappeared. That isn’t being discussed,” she remarked.
Mrs. Abacha questioned the reasons for the investigation and criticized the ongoing attention being paid to her husband even thirty years after his passing. “Why are you placing blame on someone? What is the issue with Nigerians, she questioned, or is it tribalism or a religious issue? “Why do we treat each other so badly? Because someone is a Christian or a Muslim, or because someone is from the north or the south… It’s unfair. She also criticized the media, calling on reporters to take a more positive stance.
“People aren’t that awful. That you are still discussing Abacha after twenty-seven years has passed. He must be incredibly strong and well-liked by Nigerians. “We are grateful for that,” she remarked.
In response to remarks regarding Nigeria’s comparatively stable economy under her husband’s leadership, which was characterized by higher foreign reserves and lower external debt, Mrs. Abacha restated her stance that there was no misconduct.
So, from where did he steal the funds? “So, from where would he have taken the money?” she inquired. Because Nigerians are idiots, they pay attention to everything. “Babangida doesn’t make Nigeria alone,” she said in closing, urging Nigerians to be united and respectful of one another. Nigeria is not made by Abacha alone. No one, including Abiola, is large enough for Nigeria. Every single man on the street matters a great deal. All of us are human, for heaven’s sake. These wahala should all cease.
