‘He Dealt With My Family’ – Seun Kuti Reacts to Buhari’s Death With Pain and Forgiveness
🗓️ 16 July 2025
🖋️ Byline: IDNN Culture & Music Desk
Lagos, Nigeria – Afrobeat singer and activist Seun Kuti has spoken publicly for the first time about the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, revealing that while Buhari “damaged” his family, he holds no personal hatred and has chosen to forgive the late leader.
Speaking in a deeply emotional Instagram Live broadcast, Seun described Buhari’s actions during his military rule in the 1980s as devastating to the Kuti family, saying his father, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, suffered severely under the former head of state.
“Nobody felt Buhari’s wrath like my family did. He broke us. But his death is not justice. I’m not rejoicing. I’m reflecting,” Seun said.
A Family Wounded, A Nation Shocked
During Buhari’s first stint as Nigeria’s military ruler from 1983 to 1985, his regime launched the now-infamous “War Against Indiscipline” — a campaign that led to numerous human rights violations, including mass arrests, beatings, censorship, and suppression of dissent.
Fela Kuti, one of Nigeria’s most outspoken critics of military tyranny, was one of Buhari’s main targets. The Afrobeat legend was jailed on dubious currency smuggling charges, and the military later raided his home, leading to the fatal injury of Fela’s mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a legendary activist in her own right.
“That man imprisoned my father. He destroyed our home. My grandmother died because of what his regime did. How do you just forget that?” Seun said.
‘I Forgive Him… But That’s Not Justice’
Despite the personal trauma, Seun made it clear he does not wish death on anyone — not even those who wronged him.
“This isn’t about vengeance. It’s about reflection. I forgive him as a man, as a soul. But Nigeria must never forget what he did to people.”
He said that his greatest regret is that Fela and his uncles, including Beko Ransome-Kuti, died long before Buhari, leaving the injustices of the past largely unresolved.
“Those men were better than him. Yet they died first. That’s what hurts,” Seun said.
“If there is an afterlife, maybe they’re confronting him now. Because we never got closure here.”
Seun’s Message to Nigerians
The Afrobeat singer urged Nigerians to learn from history and stop hero-worshipping leaders who ruled with repression and impunity.
“Nigerians forget too quickly. Buhari was loved by many, but they ignore what he did. Let this be a lesson: no one is above the people.”
He added that true justice is institutional, not emotional — and called on young Nigerians to push for systems that hold power accountable.
Art, Activism, and Ancestral Pain
Seun Kuti has long used music and activism to spotlight the political battles his family endured. His songs, like his father’s, remain critical of authoritarianism, corruption, and institutional hypocrisy.
“Fela gave his life fighting tyrants. That spirit lives on in my music — not as anger, but as resistance,” he said.
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