The death of former President Muhammadu Buhari has stirred a mix of grief and criticism across social media platforms.
He passed away on Sunday, the 13th of July, 2025, in London after a brief illness. His body is expected back in Nigeria today, the 14th of July for burial in his hometown, Daura, Katsina State.
While many Nigerians are paying tribute to the late president, others are using the moment to reflect on the challenges they say defined his time in office.
Critics point to widespread insecurity, rising poverty, unchecked corruption, and suppression of dissent during Buhari’s tenure.
Activist Omoyele Sowore, in a post on his Facebook page, listed what he described as key failings of the late president.
Sowore wrote that Buhari “slaughtered hundreds of Shiites, men, women, and even children”.
He also accused him of ordering soldiers to “open fire on peaceful EndSARS protesters waving the Nigerian flag”, referencing the October 2020 Lekki toll gate shooting.
Sowore continued, alleging the president played a role in the disappearance of Abubakar Idris, popularly known as Dadiyata, a government critic and social media commentator abducted in August 2019.
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“He ‘disappeared’ Dadiyata,” he claimed.
Sowore didn’t stop there. He also blamed Buhari for targeting young people in the Southeast whom he “branded IPOB”, stating they were victims of state violence.
“He disobeyed court orders, jailed critics arbitrarily, destroyed the economy, and ruined everything he touched.
“And now, because he’s dead, some people with selective memory want us to mourn or worship him?
“Shameful. NO, we do not mourn tyrants. We remember their victims,” Sowore wrote.
Others have echoed similar sentiments, including Sunday Igboho, a well-known Yoruba Nation agitator, who also recalled the pain and unresolved issues that trailed Buhari’s years in power.