ALHAJI Mamman Daura, uncle to the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, has broken his silence, offering a heartfelt account of Buhari’s final moments in a London hospital before his passing on Sunday.
Mamman Daura, who is also a respected elder statesman and veteran journalist, shared intimate details of his last encounter with Buhari, describing the mood on Saturday night as lighthearted and optimistic.
According to Daura, the former president had been making final arrangements for his return to Nigeria and was confident of being discharged from the hospital within days.
“We were together on Saturday talking and laughing,” Daura recalled. “Buhari was in high spirits in the London Clinic where he was admitted. We talked about everything. He was cheerful and looking forward to returning home.”
Daura explained that Buhari had even instructed that logistics be finalised for members of his support team in London — particularly the settlement of hotel bills for aides and associates who had travelled with or visited him during his medical stay.
“He made sure that arrangements were made to sort out the hotel bills of everybody who was in London on his behalf before departing,” Daura said.
The elderly statesman left Buhari’s bedside at about 9 p.m. on Saturday with every intention of returning the next day, unaware it would be their last conversation.
“I left him about 9 p.m. on Saturday in high spirits and promised to see him on Sunday afternoon,” he added. “He was even looking forward to his doctor’s visit on Sunday morning.”
However, the mood turned grim on Sunday. Around midday, Buhari began to struggle with breathing, a development that triggered swift intervention by medical personnel.
“But around midday on Sunday, he started having breathing challenges. The doctors rushed to his side to try and manage it,” Daura narrated.
Despite their best efforts, the 82-year-old former president succumbed at approximately 4:30 p.m.
“Unfortunately, around 4:30 p.m., he gave up the ghost,” Daura stated somberly.
Buhari’s death has triggered a wave of mourning across Nigeria and beyond. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a national public holiday in his honour, as well as a week of national mourning, with flags flying at half-mast at home and in Nigerian embassies worldwide.
The late president, who served as Nigeria’s Head of State from 1983 to 1985 and later as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023, is scheduled to be buried in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, on Tuesday, July 15, in line with Islamic rites and his personal wishes.