Abuja, Nigeria | July 14, 2025 — Vice President Kashim Shettima, alongside Presidential Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, arrived in London this Monday to collect and repatriate the body of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on July 13 after a prolonged illness.
Following President Bola Tinubu’s directive, Shettima departed Nigeria late Sunday night and was greeted at the hospital by Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar and Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum. The delegation then proceeded to complete necessary formalities ahead of transporting Buhari’s remains back to Nigeria.
Funeral Arrangements & Mourners
- The body is expected to reach Nigeria on Monday for burial in Daura, Katsina State, in accordance with Islamic rites
- President Tinubu has ordered all national flags to fly at half-mast. He also summoned an emergency Federal Executive Council session for July 15 to honour the late leader Punch Newspapers.
- Daura is preparing to receive dignitaries, including former heads of state and West African leaders, for the burial ceremony
About Former President Buhari
General Muhammadu Buhari, aged 82, served twice as Nigeria’s leader: once as military head of state (1983–1985) and later as democratically elected president (2015–2023), becoming the first opposition candidate to unseat an incumbent president. Reuters. Though initially respected for anti-corruption efforts and gains against Boko Haram, his tenure faced criticism over rising insecurity and economic challenges.
