Muhammadu Buhari Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Mass social mobilization=== {{main|War Against Indiscipline}} One of the most enduring legacies of the Buhari government has been the War Against Indiscipline (WAI). Launched on 20 March 1984, the policy tried to address the perceived lack of public morality and civic responsibility of Nigerian society. Unruly Nigerians were ordered to form neat queues at bus stops, under the eyes of whip-wielding soldiers. Civil servants<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12890807|title = Nigeria's Muhammadu Buhari in profile|date = 11 December 2014|website = bbc.co.uk|access-date = 21 July 2018|archive-date = 13 August 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180813125916/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12890807|url-status = live}}</ref> who failed to show up on time at work were humiliated and forced to do "frog jumps". Minor offences carried long sentences. Any student over the age of 17 caught cheating on an exam would get 21 years in prison. Counterfeiting and arson could lead to the death penalty.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/10/world/nigeria-s-discipline-campaign-not-sparing-the-rod.html|title = Nigeria's discipline campaign: Not sparing the rod|date = 10 August 1984|work = The New York Times|author = Clifford D. May|access-date = 11 February 2017|archive-date = 9 June 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170609222757/http://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/10/world/nigeria-s-discipline-campaign-not-sparing-the-rod.html|url-status = live}}</ref> Buhari's administration enacted three decrees to investigate corruption and control foreign exchange. The Banking (Freezing of Accounts) Decree of 1984, allotted to the Federal Military Government the power to freeze bank accounts of persons suspected to have committed fraud. The Recovery of Public Property (Special Military Tribunals) Decree permitted the government to investigate the assets of public officials linked with corruption and constitute a military tribunal to try such persons. The Exchange Control (Anti-Sabotage) Decree stated penalties for violators of foreign exchange laws.{{sfn|Graf|1988|p=154}} Decree 20 on illegal ship bunkering and drug trafficking was another example of Buhari's tough approach to crime.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-9485.html|title=Security and Anticrime Measures|date=June 1991|website=country-data.com|access-date=19 January 2015|archive-date=14 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150314231150/http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-9485.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Section 3 (2) (K) provided that "any person who, without lawful authority deals in, sells, smokes or inhales the drug known as [[cocaine]] or other similar drugs, shall be guilty under section 6 (3) (K) of an offence and liable on conviction to suffer death sentence by firing squad." In the case of Bernard Ogedengebe, the Decree was applied retroactively.<ref name="tdl22">{{cite web|url=http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/buhari-history-and-the-wilfully-blind/198756/|title=Buhari: History and the Wilfully Blind|date=10 January 2015|website=thisdaylive.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113061304/http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/buhari-history-and-the-wilfully-blind/198756/|archive-date=13 January 2015}}</ref> He was executed even if at the time of his arrest the crime did not mandate the capital punishment, but had carried a sentence of six months imprisonment.<ref name="tdl22" /> In another prominent case of April 1985, six Nigerians were condemned to death under the same decree: Sidikatu Tairi, Sola Oguntayo, Oladele Omosebi, Lasunkanmi Awolola, Jimi Adebayo and Gladys Iyamah.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abiyamo.com/muhammadu-buhari-nigerias-strictest-leader/7/|title=Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria's Strictest Leader|date=2 July 2013|website=abiyamo.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120113947/http://www.abiyamo.com/muhammadu-buhari-nigerias-strictest-leader/7/|archive-date=20 January 2015}}</ref> In 1985, prompted by economic uncertainties and a rising crime rate, the government of Buhari opened the borders (closed since April 1984) with [[Benin]], [[Niger]], [[Chad]] and [[Cameroon]] to speed up the expulsion of 700,000 illegal foreigners and illegal migrant workers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/05/world/expelled-foreigners-pouring-ved=0CHwQ6AEwDw#v=onepageout-of-nigeria-by-the-associated-press.html|title=Expelled foreigners pouring out of Nigeria By The Associated Press|date=5 May 1985|website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Buhari is today known for this crisis; there even is a famine in the east of Niger that have been named "El Buhari".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/ARTJAWEB20141211173541/|title=Présidentielle nigériane : Muhammadu Buhari affrontera Goodluck Jonathan|date=11 December 2014|website=jeuneafrique.com|access-date=19 January 2015|archive-date=4 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211204194311/https://www.jeuneafrique.com/37766/politique/pr-sidentielle-nig-riane-muhammadu-buhari-affrontera-goodluck-jonathan/|url-status=live}}</ref> His regime drew criticism from many, including Nigeria's first Nobel Prize winner [[Wole Soyinka]], who, in 2007, wrote a piece called "The Crimes of Buhari"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://saharareporters.com/2007/01/14/crimes-buhari-wole-soyinka|title=The crimes of Buhari-Wole Soyinka|date=14 January 2007|website=saharareporters.com|access-date=19 January 2015|archive-date=20 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120115130/http://saharareporters.com/2007/01/14/crimes-buhari-wole-soyinka|url-status=live}}</ref> which outlined many of the abuses conducted under his military rule. Ahead of the 2015 general election, Buhari responded to his human rights criticism by saying that if elected, he would follow the rule of law, and that there would be access to justice for all Nigerians and respect for fundamental human rights of Nigerians.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160304195948/http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/03/my-contract-with-nigeria-buhari/ My contract with Nigeria – Buhari]. vanguardngr.com (17 March 2015)</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page