June 12: “No Evidence My Husband Looted Nigeria” – Maryam Abacha Fires Back

Hajiya Maryam Sani Abacha, widow of former military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has refuted widespread claims that her husband was involved in the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

In an interview aired on TVC, Maryam Abacha strongly rejected the narrative, insisting that her husband had no role in the decision to void what many still regard as Nigeria’s freest and fairest election.

Babangida’s Regime Responsible, Not Abacha — Maryam Claims

The June 12 election, widely believed to have been won by the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola, was canceled by then-military president, General Ibrahim Babangida. However, Mrs. Abacha pointed fingers at other key players in that administration, stating that General Abacha’s name was unfairly dragged into the controversy.

“People credit my husband with more power than he had at the time,” she said. “They easily believe lies pushed by those in government.”

Maryam expressed disappointment in what she described as Nigerians’ tendency to accept unverified claims. She said this pattern of misinformation also fuels other narratives, particularly the one that portrays her husband as a looter.

‘No Evidence of Looting,’ Maryam Insists

Responding to decades-long allegations of financial impropriety, Maryam Abacha dismissed claims that her husband looted public funds. She described the allegations as misunderstood and lacking credible evidence.

“Who witnessed these so-called hidden funds? Where are the signatures or documents?” she asked. “The money my husband left for Nigeria vanished within months. Nobody is talking about that.”

Over the years, governments have recovered billions of dollars connected to the Abacha regime from countries like Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom. These funds, often labeled as the “Abacha loot,” have been reinvested in social programmes. Yet Maryam Abacha maintains that none of the money was stolen.

She went further to suggest that the repeated accusations may stem from deeper divisions in society, including ethnic and religious bias.

“Why do we treat each other so harshly?” she asked. “Is it because someone is a northerner or a southerner, a Muslim or a Christian? That kind of thinking is unjust.”

Her remarks are expected to reignite debates over one of Nigeria’s most controversial political eras.