Fela Kuti
Popular Nigerian musician known for his high-life music and activism, Fela was jailed in 1984 for his criticism of then Mohammadu Buhari’s government. He would stay in jail for 20 months but the mistreatment would not end there.
He was hounded by the military regime and in 1977, 1000 soldiers ambushed him in his home. His head was fractured and he suffered a number of other injuries. His mother was thrown off a window inflicting injuries that would later prove fatal.
Fela Kuti on his mum, Mrs Funmilayo—thrown off a 3rd floor window by army officers in 1978. Upon death, Fela marched into Dodan Barracks—then Nigeria’s seat of power—with her coffin.
An activist & Lenin Prize winner, she’s was with Dr Azikiwe in London, 1947, demanding Self-Rule pic.twitter.com/TTmSUy0a0P
— Facts About Africa (@OnlyAfricaFacts) August 29, 2018
The soldiers not only set the compound on fire but also impeded the arrival of firefighters. Consequently, Fela’s master tapes and musical instruments were destroyed, but this did not stop him from making music and spreading his political message across Africa and the world.
