The body of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived in Nigeria from London and will be laid to rest on Tuesday in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State. Buhari, who died in the United Kingdom at the age of 82, is to be buried in accordance with Islamic rites, which emphasize simplicity and promptness in burial.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, along with President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, accompanied the late president’s remains from London back to Nigeria. The body arrived in Abuja on Sunday before being flown to Katsina, where final preparations for Tuesday’s burial are underway.
President Tinubu has declared a seven-day national mourning period, ordering all flags across the country to fly at half-mast. While tributes pour in from across the country and beyond, Buhari’s burial will be conducted without the pomp of a state funeral, reflecting both his personal wishes and Islamic tradition.
The ceremony is expected to be modest and private, with only close family, religious leaders, and a few dignitaries in attendance. However, several prominent figures, including President Tinubu and former heads of state, are expected to gather in Daura on Tuesday to pay their last respects.
Buhari served as Nigeria’s military ruler from 1983 to 1985, and later as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023. His legacy includes a strong focus on anti-corruption, national security, and infrastructural development. As Nigerians mourn, many reflect on the enduring impact of a man who twice led Africa’s most populous nation.
