Introduction
He is bamboo-rod straight, his body frame is slenderized, he is of a meager weight, he is fair and in terms of height, he towers as one of the tallest of Nigerian leaders, if not the tallest. His milky voice evokes no fear but do not be deceived, his uncompromising stance on issues stands him out. Millions of Nigerians adore and practically worship him as the only Saviour of the Nation, while millions despise him and see him as nothing but a reincarnation of the Devil. This man is held in great esteem by a vast swathe of the Nigerian population while some others seethe with scary bitterness and violent hatred at the mere mention of his name. But hate him or love him, you will agree that Major-General MUHAMMADU ‘Leko’ BUHARI, Dogo Dan Daura, is the strictest Nigerian leader.
His regime was one of an unprecedented clampdown on indiscipline, corruption and corrupt people. Even his sworn foes agree he has an extremely inflexible stand and an incorrigible will against corruption – which ironically led to his overthrow. Today, Abiyamo’s lenses will zoom in on the life of this Daura-born Fulani general, a man many love with fanatical zeal, many hate with unspeakable fervour while many are not too sure whether to spew caustic hatred on him or shower him with benevolent adoration. Ladies and Gentlemen, General Muhammadu ‘Leko’ Buhari, GCFR.
BIRTH AND EARLY DAYS
He was born on a Thursday, the 17th of December, 1942, (that makes him 70+ years even though he doesn't look it). Unlike many other northerners who were born into aristocratic backgrounds and climbed up using the prestige of their families and the influence of their fathers, Buhari was born into a humble family, what we call pako in my area. He lost his father at a very tender age (he was just four), both parents pampered him like a pet as he was their last child but he had about 20 other siblings whom his father sired with other women in previous marriages. His mum had given birth to a set of twins before Buhari but they both died shortly after birth. That explains one of his nicknames 'Leko' which means 'someone born after twins who died', something like 'Idowu' in Yorubaland.
His father was Alhaji Hardo Adamu and Hajiya Zulhatu (nee Musa) was his mother, the daughter of the Sarkin Dogarai, what can be translated as the head of the infantry who was in turn the son of the Kauran Daura Lawal, head of the Daura military forces. His paternal grandfather was a typical Fulani who lived the nomadic life but later settled for a life of farming in Daura, Katsina State. His mother would later die on the 14th of December, 1988, a few days to his birthday. Buhari, who had just been released from prison, got to Daura a few hours after the burial of his mother. He was not fortunate enough to witness her being interred. Please note that Buhari's mother was not Fulani but Hausa (Habe) and she was already a widow with seven children when she married Buhari's father who was the Fulani chief of the Dumurkol Village, near Daura.
As a child, he played round the dusty roads of the town and remembers clearly, the time he fell off a horse during one of his recreational periods.
GROWING UP AND EDUCATION
A proper Katsina boy, he attended the Katsina Middle School (Daura & Maidua, 1948-1952) and later proceeded to the Katsina Provincial Secondary School (now Government College, Katsina) for his high education from 1956-1961. From there, he went off to start his military education, like many boys of the north at that time.
IN THE MILITARY
In becoming a soldier, he attended the following institutions:
-Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC), 1962
-Mons Officer Cadet School, Aldershot, United Kingdom (1962-1963). Generals Sani Abacha (read about Abacha HERE and HERE) and Obasanjo also attended this academy). In Aldershot, Buhari was described as 'an only pebble in the beach, a star in his calm and calculating disposition.'
-Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington, Tamil Nadu, India (1973), Obasanjo also attended this college (see picture).
The main gate to Buhari's college in India.
-US Army War College (1979-1980) where he was described as “a gentleman, a soft-spoken soldier, who preserved the ethics of the profession almost as a Quarter-Master-General. He would touch the tip of his cap in greeting for a lady, would never enter a room with his beret on. Always careful with his language, would smile at every joke and would never do anything to rock the boat.”
In the year 1962, he joined the Nigerian Army and rose steadily through the ranks.
Here, General Buhari (holding waist) with Bamgboye, Kwara State's first governor and others. Dressed like a hunter at the back looks like General Obasanjo....lol!
- -Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant, 1963
- -Platoon Commander, United Nations Peacekeeping Force, Congo, early 1960s.
- -Platoon Commander, 2nd Infantry Battalion, Abeokuta, Ogun State, 1963.
- -Mechanical Transport Officer, Lagos Garrison, 1964 – 1965.
- -Transport Company Commander, 2nd Infantry Brigade 1965 – 1966.
- -Battalion Adjutant / Commander, 2nd Infantry Brigade/Battalion 1966 – 1967 (during the Nigerian Civil War).
- -Appointed Brigade Major, 2 Sector, 1st Infantry Division, April -July 1967.
- Brigade Major, 3rd Infantry Brigade, August 1967 – October 1968;
- Acting Commander, 4th Sector, 1st Division November 1968 – February 1970;
- Commander, 31st Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, February 1970 – June 1971;
- Assistant Adjutant-General, 1st Infantry Division Hqrs., July 1971 – Dec. 1972;
- Colonel, General Staff, 3rd Infantry Div. Hqrs. Jan. 1974 – Sept. 1974.
- Acting Director, Supply and Transport, Nigeria Army Corps of Supply and Transport, September 1974 – July 1975;
- Military Governor, North Eastern State of Nigeria, August 1975 – March 1976;
- Federal Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, March 1976 to June 1978;
- Chairman, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, June 1978 – July 1978;
- Military Secretary, Army Headquarters July 1978 – June 1979;
- Member Supreme Military Council, March 1976 – June 1979;
- General Officer Commanding, 4th Infantry Division, Aug. 1980 – Jan. 1981;
- General Officer Commanding, 2nd Mechanised Infantry Division, Jan. 1981 – October 1981;
- General Officer Commanding 3rd Armed Division Nigerian Army, October 1981 – December 1983.
- Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces, December 1983 – August 1985
From July 1975 to February 1976, he served as the Governor of the newly-created North-Eastern State under the regime of the late General Murtala Muhammed. The North-Eastern State is what we now know as Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe and Taraba States. Mehn, that's huge! See the picture below.
Later, after the assassination of Murtala Muhammed, he served as the Federal Commissioner (now Minister) for Petroleum, Energy and Natural Resources under General Olusegun Obasanjo. He was appointed to that post in 1976 and was there till 1978.
On the 1st of April, 1977, the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel and the Nigerian National Oil Corporation were both merged together to form what is now the ultimate ATM machine for Nigerian leaders -the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Buhari was appointed as the head of the NNPC in 1978 and was there till 1979. Under Buhari, who wasthe Pioneer Chairman of the NNPC, great achievements were recorded: 20 depots of oil involving over 3,200 kilometres of pipeline were constructed all over the nation, in addition to the construction of petroleum refineries in Kaduna and Warri (subsequent governments have wrecked these refineries and there is obviously no plan in their skulls to build new ones, I do not know of any other oil-producing nation and OPEC member that buys refined fuel from others. The largest refinery in the world is in India, a country that produces no crude oil. I see our importing refined petroleum as one of the most glaring stupidities of the Nigerian nation, the supposed giant of Africa).
(The NNPC states that it's vision is to become a world-class oil and gas company driven by shared commitment to excellence while its mission as an integrated Oil and Gas Company is to be engaged in adding value to the nation's hydrocarbon resources for the benefit of all Nigerians and other stakeholders. I think that 'all Nigerians' should be rewritten as 'some Nigerians' while the 'other stakeholders' should be edited and become 'the cabal'. As an 'ordinary Nigerian', ayam yet to feel the full benefit o. Sorry for the 'digreson', e dey pain me for body ni, we were on Buhari shey....lol! )
Watch a video of Buhari swearing in the new governors below
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