Former President Muhammadu Buhari died on Sunday, at the age of 82, after battling an undisclosed illness in a London hospital.
Naijaonpoint reports that his death, which occurred on Sunday, July 13, 2025, has prompted a wave of tributes and state-led preparations for his burial in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State.
Buhari, who first served as military head of state between 1983 and 1985, later returned as Nigeria’s democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023, making him one of the few Nigerians to have led the country in both military and civilian capacities.
In honour of the late leader, the Federal Government declared a public holiday and constituted a high-powered committee to oversee a state burial, reflecting his status as a former head of state.
According to a government statement, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, will chair the Inter-Ministerial Committee coordinating the burial in conjunction with the Katsina State Government and the Buhari family.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has also dispatched a delegation led by Vice President Kashim Shettima and Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila to London to accompany the late President’s remains back to Nigeria.
Other members of the delegation include Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, and Deputy Chief of Staff Senator Ibrahim Hadejia.
The presidency confirmed that Tinubu will personally receive Buhari’s body upon arrival at the Katsina airport before it is taken to Daura for Islamic funeral rites and burial.
Buhari’s Body Leaves London On NAF Aircraft
- As of 9 am Tuesday, Buhari’s remains had departed London aboard a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft. His final resting place will be his private residence in Daura, where preparations, including the digging of a grave, are already underway.
Confirming the development, presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu told journalists, “The body left London by 7:48 am and is expected after 7 hours. The graveyard is being dug.”
- There is tight security at the residence of late President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State, as the digging of his grave has commenced.
Naijaonpoint learnt that Buhari’s Daura residence, on Tuesday, was filled with many officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) and men of the Nigerian Army were seen stationed at the entrance, while police officers and men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were positioned at strategic places.