The wife of the Nigerian President, Mrs Maryam Abacha, has donated ten plane loads of supplies worth five million dollars to Sierra Leone.

The supplies include medical aid, blankets and food.

It's not clear how the donation was funded.

Mrs Abacha said she was making the donation in her capacity as the leader of the African First Ladies peace mission.

In a statement to the people of Sierra Leone, she stressed the importance of focussing on the needs of women and children in efforts to achieve peace and reconciliation.

Human rights activists in Nigeria reacted angrily to news of the donation, saying that Mrs Abacha had ignored the plight of the poor in her own country.