News In Brief
| Lagos, Nigeria
Deposed Nigerian chief under guard in capital
Deposed Nigerian President Shehu Shagari was flown to Lagos in handcuffs and under military guard Tuesday while the general who toppled Nigeria's civilian government began setting up a new administration.
In Washington, the Reagan administration expressed regret at the Nigerian coup, but said it was looking forward to working with the country's new rulers.
Maj. Gen. Muhammad Buhari, Nigeria's new military ruler, lifted a dusk-to-dawn curfew, reopened airports and restored telephone links between Nigeria and the rest of the world Tuesday. But land sea borders remained closed, as they have been since the coup Saturday.
The new head of state, warned that his administration's most important consideration would be accountability. Anyone who misused government resources or put government property to their own use would be summarily imprisoned, he said. The government would not condone the "nonsenses of litigation" in dealing with culprits, Radio Nigeria quoted him as saying.
The coup was welcomed by four of the country's major newspapers in front-page editorials.
