The remains of Nigeria’s former President Muhammadu Buhari have departed London, United Kingdom, en route to his hometown of Daura in Katsina State, ahead of a state burial in his honour.
The body was flown aboard a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft early Tuesday morning, shortly before 8:00 a.m. (Nigerian time), in a solemn departure from the UK, where the late president had been receiving medical care.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, and several other high-ranking government officials accompanied the body on the flight, marking the beginning of official funeral rites for the late statesman.
President Muhammadu Buhari passed away on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at approximately 4:30 p.m. in a London hospital following a prolonged illness. He was 82 years old. The specific nature of his illness has not been publicly disclosed.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to receive the remains of his predecessor in Katsina by noon on Tuesday. A state burial ceremony is scheduled to follow in Daura, Buhari’s ancestral hometown, where national and regional leaders are expected to pay their final respects.
Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s military ruler from 1983 to 1985 and later as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023, remains a deeply influential figure in the nation’s political landscape. His death has sparked an outpouring of condolences from across Nigeria and the international community.
More details regarding the funeral arrangements and national honors are expected to be announced by the presidency later today.
