Aliyu: How Three Persons Were Killed When Ex-President Buhari Declared ‘ War Against Indiscipline’

During an interview with Channels Television, Farouq Aliyu, a former Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, reflected on a controversial chapter from Nigeria’s military history under the leadership of the late President Muhammadu Buhari. Aliyu revisited one of the most debated decisions made during Buhari’s military regime—the execution of individuals for drug-related offenses.

He recalled that during the War Against Indiscipline, a campaign launched by the Buhari-led military government in 1984, three individuals were executed for drug trafficking offenses. Among them were Bayo Ojuolape and Bartholomew Owoh, along with a third person whose name he could not recall. Notably, he pointed out that at least one or two of the executed had committed the offense before the relevant decree was enacted, raising questions about the use of retroactive laws….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>

Aliyu acknowledged that this aspect of Buhari’s rule attracted significant controversy, particularly regarding human rights. However, he maintained that the former military leader’s primary motivation was to tackle the growing menace of drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria. The executions, in his view, were intended to send a stern warning to deter future offenders and uphold public morality.

He recounted that Buhari was not physically present when the death warrants were processed, as he was away on an official visit to Ilorin at the time. Nevertheless, Buhari’s administration moved forward with its anti-drug stance as part of a broader effort to cleanse the nation of criminal activity and social decay.

The War Against Indiscipline, as a whole, was aimed at restoring order, discipline, and national pride in a country that was grappling with widespread corruption and lawlessness. While it gained support from certain segments of the population, critics both within and outside Nigeria denounced the harsh methods employed during the campaign, including corporal punishment and the use of retroactive legislation.

According to him, “the days of the War Against Indiscipline, there were three persons that were executed. Bayo Ojuolape, Bartholomew Owoh, and one other person—I can’t remember the name. They were executed for drugs, and I think one or two of them were executed with a retroactive law, which they committed the offense before the decree was promulgated. I remembered very well, I asked him that, you know he said that he was in Illorin on a visit when they brought the death warrant, but God knows his intention was to cleanse Nigeria of drugs at that time.”….CONTINUE FULL READING