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LEARN FROM HARSH REACTIONS TO BUHARI’S DEATH – SHEHU SANI TELLS NIGERIAN LEADERS
A former senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has called on Nigerian leaders to reflect on the reactions that followed the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, saying it should serve as a wake-up call for those in authority.
Sani said the outpouring of raw and bitter emotions across the country shows that Nigerians have become increasingly bold and unforgiving in their judgment of those who lead them.
He noted that the intense criticism, even in death, is a clear sign that the people are no longer willing to suppress their grievances.
In a post shared on his verified social media page (X), the former lawmaker stated that the lesson for present and future leaders is to govern with a sense of accountability and fairness, thereby avoiding the wrath of an embittered populace.
“The present and future crop of Nigerian leaders should take lessons from the wave of unrefined emotions of Nigerians in the last 48 hours; a new generation of retributive citizens have (sic) evolved: unrestrained in their anger, unfiltered in their bitterness and unforgiving in their souls,” he wrote.
Buhari’s death has sparked mixed reactions online, with many critics highlighting his controversial human rights record during his time in office.
A Nigerian woman, believed to be from the Northern region, said she would never forgive Buhari for the hardship she endured during his administration.
In a video, the woman said she felt nothing upon hearing about Buhari’s reported death and insisted that she could not find it in her heart to forgive him.
“I heard Buhari is dead… I swear to Almighty Allah, for me, I didn’t feel anything about his demise, be it sympathy or grief, I swear I didn’t feel anything.
“And again, during his time as president of Nigeria, there was no kind of hardship that I didn’t pass through. My entire life, since the beginning of his administration to date, has not returned to normal.
“When he became president, his children became successful, and he gave his daughter’s hand in marriage. His children became wealthy and successful.
“And we, the children of nobody who are posting videos mourning and praying for his soul to rest in peace, were the most affected ones.
“Some are saying he was a Muslim and so on. God says ‘forgive if you can and if you cannot, leave it for God to judge in here after.’ For me, I cannot and will not forgive Buhari.”
Similarly, the 2015 Zaria massacre, a deadly military crackdown on members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, has resurfaced in national conversation following the death of Buhari on Sunday in London, after a prolonged illness.
In a series of emotional posts on Facebook, Nigerian journalist Saifullahi M. Kabir mourned the victims of the military action carried out under Buhari’s government and condemned the former president for what he described as the mass killing of innocent Shiite Muslims.
In one of his posts, Kabir listed victims of the massacre, stating, “Fatima Ali Munjibir, Nusaiba Yakubu Zurmi, Nusaiba Shafiu Kazaure, Fatima Isa Waziri, and Khadija Ibrahim Dasuqi, are all young, hardworking university students and religious leaders who were killed by General Buhari in 2015 in Zaria.”
He further alleged that the victims’ bodies were never recovered or buried properly according to Islamic rites.
