Abacha's Son Opens Up On Their 'Surprising Relationship' With Babangida, Buhari's Families

Twenty-two years after the demise of Nigeria's late maximum ruler, General Sani Abacha, his son, Sadiq has disclosed that his family maintains a surprising relationship with two of his dad's living contemporaries even as he disclosed that some others have abandoned them.

He spoke during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service aired on Wednesday. When asked about their relationship with families of surviving Nigerian leaders, Sadiq Abacha explained that aside from the family of Ibrahim Babangida, and to some extent that of President Muhammadu Buhari, others had, allegedly, failed to sustain the relationship.

According to him, "We relate well with the Babangida family… Our present relationship with some of our late father’s friends is surprising. We exchange pleasantries with the family of General Babangida. We are in good terms.

“It is only with members of the Babangida family that whenever we meet, we associate and share stories.

”We also relate well, with family members of President Muhammadu Buhari. But it’s only with the Babangida’s that we recall the past."

Sadiq further disclosed that even though a travel ban on the Abachas has been lifted since during the Yar’adua era, his kin were still harassed whenever they travel in and out of the country.

His words, “We went to the security agency, they even gave us a clearance paper. But even before this lockdown that I travelled to Dubai, I was still interrogated at the Airport.

"When Yayale Ahmed was Secretary of the Government of the Federation, he helped us and the travel ban on our family was lifted.

”But up till date, I’m always interrogated at the airports anytime I’m travelling. They always say our names are still in the black book.

”We’ve been to the security agency and they have issued us with a clearance paper. That our names have been removed from the black book.

”But nothing has changed... I’m always harassed whenever I’m going out or coming into the country. I don’t know where to go and be listened to. It should’ve been a security agency, but I was there.

”Nothing has changed. Even recently, before this lockdown, I was interrogated when I returned from Dubai,” he said.

Asked how the Abacha family felt about reports of hundreds of millions allegedly looted and stashed in foreign vaults by the late dictator, the former first son said the reports were disturbing.

“We hear the report just as others used to hear. But there are reasons why the money was kept …there are some politicians. Definitely, I’m not happy,” he said