THE body of Nigeria’s former President Muhammadu Buhari has departed the United Kingdom and is now on its final journey home to his birthplace of Daura in Katsina State, where he will be laid to rest later today.
Buhari’s remains were flown out of London on a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft in the early hours of Tuesday morning, following final diplomatic and medical formalities. He was accompanied by a federal delegation led by Vice President Kashim Shettima and the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, among other top government officials.
The late former president passed away at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 13, at the age of 82, after battling a long but undisclosed illness in a London hospital. The presidency had earlier confirmed the news and announced a full state burial in his honour.
President Bola Tinubu is expected to receive Buhari’s remains at the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Airport in Katsina before the final leg of the journey to Daura.
According to Buhari’s longtime spokesperson, Garba Shehu, the former president will be buried in the courtyard of his private residence in Daura, as per his personal wish and in accordance with Islamic customs.
“He will be buried in his house, just as he wanted,” Shehu said. “The family is honouring his request for a modest, private burial, without the pomp of public cemeteries or national monuments.”
Despite the low-key nature of the ceremony, federal and state security forces have beefed up security in Daura, with roads leading to the residence sealed off as early as Tuesday morning. Locals have also begun to gather quietly near the compound, awaiting the arrival of their beloved son.
The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, July 15, a public holiday to honour the late president, and a seven-day national mourning period has been declared, during which flags will fly at half-mast across Nigeria and all foreign missions.
The Presidential Burial Committee, comprising 25 senior government officials led by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has been on ground coordinating logistics and ensuring the event aligns with both protocol and Buhari’s austere preferences.
Muhammadu Buhari, often called “Baba Buhari” by millions of his admirers across Northern Nigeria, was a defining figure in Nigerian political history. He served as military Head of State from 1983 to 1985 and later returned as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023, making him one of Nigeria’s most consequential leaders.
His early years in politics were marked by repeated unsuccessful attempts at the presidency—in 2003, 2007, and 2011—despite consistently earning over 12 million votes. In 2013, he merged his party, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), with other opposition forces to form the All Progressives Congress (APC), eventually defeating the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in a historic 2015 election.
Buhari’s presidency was built on an anti-corruption agenda and a commitment to national security and infrastructure.
Known for his simple lifestyle, dry wit, and strong discipline, Buhari remained largely unmaterialistic throughout his political career.
He maintained his traditional values and was often seen as a stoic figure, unmoved by the flamboyance of power.
Today, as the country gathers to lay him to rest in his ancestral home, tributes continue to pour in from across Nigeria and beyond, celebrating the life of a man who, for better or worse, left an indelible mark on the nation’s political landscape.