Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer to late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has refuted long-standing allegations that Abacha looted Nigeria's funds and stashed them abroad.

In a recent interview with the BBC, Al-Mustapha defended the late military leader, claiming that the money in question was actually used to support Nigerians during difficult economic periods.

Economic Hardship and Foreign Inspiration

"At that time, the government was running under a lot of hardship. There was no money. So, we went to Libya with several people to learn how they were surviving. Libya had faced sanctions for 11 years," Al-Mustapha explained.

According to him, after studying Libya's economic survival strategies, the Abacha administration implemented policies that allowed Nigerian-owned companies to receive government support to purchase goods and sell them to citizens at affordable prices.

"These were the things we copied, and by God's grace, Nigerians were not crushed. But after Abacha died, some people didn't return the money. Instead, they created many false stories against him," he asserted.

Questioning the Allegations

Al-Mustapha challenged the narrative surrounding the so-called "Abacha loot," stating: "I don't believe the money they say was returned to Nigeria was in Abacha's name. The money was kept in national accounts to support this economic plan. Some returned it, others hid it."

He further questioned the credibility of the allegations by asking: "Did Abacha ever travel abroad? Were the funds found with his signature? Or did anyone catch him transferring money? No."

Views on Nigeria's Democracy

When asked about Nigeria's democratic journey, Al-Mustapha acknowledged that while there has been political progress, the lives of ordinary Nigerians have not significantly improved.

"Democracy is good, but using it in a way that harms the people is a big problem," he remarked.

These claims come amid years of international efforts to recover billions of dollars allegedly stolen during Abacha's regime, with various countries returning funds identified as looted assets to Nigeria.

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