Muhammadu Buhari'slegacy in Nigeriais likely to be mixed. He will be remembered for trying to foster integrity in the country and for leadership that was deeply flawed.

"From his military era to his two-term civilian presidency, he leaves behind a legacy filled with both praise and pain. We must reflect on justice and accountability," Sheriff Ansu, a digital content creator, said.

Human rights activists say that he never let go of his autocratic tendencies. "Buhari was an ethnic bigot. He had contempt for the rule of law; he disobeyed court orders. He engaged in enforced disappearances of critics," Omoyele Sowore, an activist based in the Nigerian capital Abuja, told DW.

"In 2015, he presided over the mass murder of over 300 Shiites in Zaria. Young Nigerians protesting police brutality were gunned down in October 2020 by soldiers directed by Buhari. That is unforgettable and unforgivable," Sowore said.

The protests were part of a movement dubbed #EndSARS, named after a special police unit that for years was accused of racketeering, torture and murder. The Buhari government violently crushed the movement.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Buhari defeated Goodluck Jonathan at the polls in 2015, in what was judged to be Nigeria's fairest general election to date. Not everyone liked having a former military general at the country's helm. Many, nevertheless, hoped he would crack down on armed groups.

"He is one man who believed in making Nigeria the best place to live on Earth. He tried his best to bring Nigerians........

© Deutsche Welle