Fatima Buhari, daughter of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed that her father at one point believed his office in the Presidential Villa was under secret surveillance, according to a new book.
The disclosure is contained in From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by Dr. Charles Omole, Director‑General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research. The book was unveiled in Abuja on Monday.
In the book, Fatima Buhari said the former president’s suspicion led them to communicate in writing rather than speaking during private meetings.
According to her, Buhari feared that conversations in his office were being monitored, prompting unusual precautions in their interactions.
She recalled one such meeting, saying her father avoided speaking and instead used gestures to signal that they should write down their messages.
“He touched his cheek, like he had a toothache, and signalled that we shouldn’t talk. We wrote notes to each other, like spies in a film,” Fatima was quoted as saying.
She added that Buhari believed listening devices had been planted in his Villa office and warned her to remain cautious, noting that he was always on guard.
The book describes the episode not as theatrics but as a coping mechanism in an atmosphere where trust was strained and privacy uncertain.
More troubling, the account suggests, was Buhari’s apparent resignation to the situation, even as Commander‑in‑Chief.
Fatima questioned the level of influence wielded by those suspected of planting the devices often referred to in the book as “the cabal”, especially given that the alleged surveillance occurred within the highly secured Presidential Villa.
The book noted that some security chiefs who served under Buhari later confirmed that unusual objects were frequently discovered in the president’s office and bedroom during routine security sweeps.
How such items came to be in the restricted areas, however, remained unclear.
Fatima described the atmosphere within the Villa as deeply unsettling, at times bordering on what she called “diabolical.”
“We’re Africans. We know supernatural powers,” she said, declining to elaborate on certain incidents and adding that some matters were best left to divine judgment.
According to the book, Buhari’s personal disposition influenced how he handled such situations. Fatima said age and faith had softened him, making him less inclined to confront or publicly disgrace those around him, even when trust was compromised.
“He understands people’s histories, their parents, their families, and he doesn’t want to destroy hope,” she said.
She added that once Buhari placed his trust in someone, it was difficult for him to withdraw it without overwhelming proof, preferring quiet corrections and warnings to sackings or public humiliation.
Fatima also disclosed that she lived in constant fear for her father’s safety, saying there were moments when she believed attempts were made to harm him.
“There were attempts. Harm was done, but his time was not yet,” she said, without providing further details.
As part of measures to manage perceived threats, she said Buhari sometimes publicly reprimanded her to give the impression of distance, even though he would later privately reassure her and her children.
“I cried in front of them, but deep inside, he would call me and the kids,” she recalled.