‘My husband’s death was like a coup’ - Maryam Abacha

She hardly speaks to the press. Since her husband died in 1998, Mrs Maryam Abacha has been living a very quiet life, at first in Kano and now in Abuja. But in this rare interview with PMNews, Maryam Abacha, the wife of the late Head of State spoke about her husband's death and how she's been coping since then.

Excerpts:

How has life been with you since the death of your husband?

We thank God for His kindness and love for us. We also thank those that have been around us in these moments of grief. We are still waiting for those that have distanced themselves from us to reconcile and come back. We are not angry with anybody. We are still friends to everybody. We look forward to the Almighty Allah to provide us the fortitude to bear this loss. So life has been quiet and peaceful with us. We are one and a happy family.

When you heard of his sudden death, how did you take it? How did you feel?

My husband’s death was like a coup. It was sudden and shrouded in confusion. General Abdulasalami [Abubakar] just called me, telling me to come and collect the dead body. We buried him like any other ordinary Nigerian. It was quite unfortunate the way he died. Allah knows best and unto Him we shall all return. May his soul rest in peace. I’m yet to fully recover from the shock of his death.

And how did you both meet?

Like any other would-be couple. He was a charming, handsome and likeable personality; a loving father who liked his children and loved ones. We became friends and got married. Here are pictures in the family album; before, during and after our wedding day. He was a caring husband, a dedicated father and an affectionate grandfather.

President Goodluck Jonathan awarded your late husband a centenary award. How did you feel receiving the award?

We felt happy. Maybe this is the beginning of good things to happen to Nigeria; maybe reconciliation… President Jonathan is a young man, he is using his time and energy to bring peace and reconciliation. I think it is high time we all come together to lift the country and stabilise ourselves. I hope it is the beginning of good things to come.