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“Death Is Not Justice”: Seun Kuti Criticizes Celebration of Buhari’s Passing
Afrobeat musician and activist Seun Kuti has offered a sobering perspective on the recent death of former Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, rejecting the idea that his passing serves as karmic justice for his actions while in office.
In a recent Instagram Live session, Kuti, the son of legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, criticized those who celebrated Buhari’s death, arguing that dying of old age in comfort does not constitute accountability or punishment.
“Is that justice? That an old man has died of old age? After using our blood to secure the financial futures of his generations?” Kuti asked pointedly.
He noted that despite the pain and damage allegedly inflicted on many Nigerians, including the Kuti family, whom Buhari’s military regime targeted in the 1980s, the former president died peacefully without ever being held accountable for his alleged crimes.
“He dealt with my family, but I don’t see his death as any sort of justice or victory for my family,” Kuti said.
“He died achieving everything he wanted to achieve. I read that he had been in the hospital for months, and the Nigerian government was spending £3,000 daily until he died.”
Kuti questioned the notion that Buhari’s natural death should be seen as a form of retribution or karmic balance, pointing out that many victims of injustice may never live as long or as comfortably as the late former leader.
“Was he charged to court and found guilty of his crimes? How do we think that an old man dying of old age is justice? His family is already set for life, and people are jubilating that he died? How is that punishment?”
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Known for his outspokenness and social critique, Seun Kuti joins a growing list of public figures weighing in on the legacy of the former president, whose passing has sparked a wave of emotional, political, and cultural reactions across Nigeria and beyond.
As conversations around accountability, justice, and legacy continue to unfold, Kuti’s remarks add a critical dimension to the national reflection on Buhari’s controversial role in Nigeria’s history.