Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer of late military Head of State General Sani Abacha, has denied charges that his former boss stole Nigerian money and stashed it in foreign nations.
In an interview with the BBC, he said that the money in question was utilized to help Nigerians during difficult economic times.
He argued that the money was not stolen but rather placed in a national account to help Nigeria’s economic goals.
According to him, “At that time, the government was going through a lot of difficulties. There was no money. So we traveled to Libya with several others to learn how they were living. Libya had been under sanctions for 11 years.
He explained that, after studying Libya’s system, the Abacha administration implemented a program that permitted Nigerian-owned businesses to obtain government assistance in purchasing commodities and selling them to Nigerians at reasonable costs.
“These were the things we replicated, and by God’s grace, Nigerians were not crushed. However, after Abacha’s death, some persons failed to return the money. Instead, they spread numerous false stories about him.
“I do not believe the money they claim was returned to Nigeria was in Abacha’s name. The funds were held in national accounts to support the economic agenda. “Some returned it, while others hid it,” he explained.
He questioned the charges further, asking, “Did Abacha ever travel abroad?” Were the funds found with his signature? Or did anyone see him transferring money? No.”
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When asked about Nigeria’s democracy, Al-Mustapha acknowledged political progress but stated that ordinary Nigerians’ lives had not improved.
“Democracy is good, but using it in a way that harms the people is a big problem,” added the governor.
