Iliyasu Abdullahi Bah
Maryam, wife of the late former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has insisted that the allegations of embezzlement against her late husband are false and that his financial transactions were misrepresented. Mrs Abacha spoke in an interview commemorating 27 years since Abacha’s death.
Successive Nigerian governments have reclaimed hundreds of millions of dollars from foreign accounts often called “Abacha loot” from countries like Switzerland, the U.S., and the U.K., using the funds for social programs. However, Maryam challenged critics to provide proof, asking, “Who witnessed the money being hidden? Did anyone see his signature or evidence of stolen funds abroad?” She also questioned why no one addressed the disappearance of funds her husband had allegedly safeguarded for Nigeria.
She suggested that the persistent blame on her husband reflects deeper societal divisions, asking whether tribalism, religion, or other biases were fueling the accusations.
“Why are Nigerians so harsh towards each other? Whether someone is northern or southern, Muslim or Christian it’s unfair,” she said, urging honesty and unity.
Maryam criticized Nigerians for accepting claims about recovered “Abacha loot,” stating, “Nigerians believe anything they hear.” She emphasized that no single leader, including Abacha or former President Ibrahim Babangida (IBB), solely shaped Nigeria’s destiny, stressing that every citizen matters.
Additionally, she denied that Abacha was responsible for annulling the June 12 election under IBB’s regime, arguing that if her husband had such power, “he would have been greater than the president himself.”
On Monday 8 June 1998, Abacha died in the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja. He was buried on the same day according to Muslim tradition and without an autopsy, fuelling speculation that he may have been poisoned. The government identified the cause of death as a sudden heart attack.
He was Nigeria’s Head of State from 1993 to 1998.