In a statement titled "Re: Abdulsalami Abubakar: Abacha Never Looted Treasury," Falana argued that Abubakar's remarks contradicted the actions his own administration took after succeeding Abacha in 1998.
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has criticised former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), over his recent claim that the late military ruler, General Sani Abacha, did not loot Nigeria's treasury, describing the assertion as an attempt to rewrite history.
In a statement titled "Re: Abdulsalami Abubakar: Abacha Never Looted Treasury," Falana argued that Abubakar's remarks contradicted the actions his own administration took after succeeding Abacha in 1998.
Abubakar, in an interview published by The Sun newspaper on June 20, 2026, had claimed that what is commonly referred to as the "Abacha loot" was not stolen public funds but money deliberately set aside for Nigeria on the advice of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, former Benin Republic President Mathieu Kérékou and others to safeguard the country against possible international sanctions.
Rejecting the explanation, Falana said, "General Abdulsalami Abubakar has belatedly joined the dubious campaign to sanitise the ignominous Abacha era."
