By JKNewsMedia
SEVEN DAYS of national mourning have been set by the Federal Government to take effect across Nigeria as final arrangements advance for the state burial of former President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.
A press release by the FG notes that federal authorities, working in coordination with the Katsina State Government and Buhari’s family, have outlined a national programme designed to reflect the dignity, stature, and legacy of the late leader.
Also, an Inter-Ministerial Committee, appointed by President Bola Tinubu and chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, is overseeing preparations.
The statement notes that committee comprises key cabinet ministers, security chiefs, and senior aides from the Presidency.
Among its members are the Ministers of Defence, Interior, Works, Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Health, Culture, FCT, and Housing, along with the National Security Adviser, Inspector-General of Police, Chief of Defence Staff, and presidential advisers.
The Permanent Secretary of the General Services Office has been designated as Secretariat to the committee.
In a symbolic show of national respect, all Nigerian flags are already flying at half-mast from Sunday, 13 July 2025.
The FG has also declared Tuesday, 15 July, a public holiday, urging Nigerians to observe the mourning period in solemn reflection and prayer for the repose of the former President.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is currently leading a high-level delegation in London to finalise documentation and logistics for the repatriation of Buhari’s remains.
The late President’s remains are expected to arrive at Umaru Musa Yar’adua Airport in Katsina by noon on Tuesday, where a brief military ceremony will be conducted.
President Tinubu will also be present to receive the body, before it proceeds to Daura for the Jana’iza (Islamic funeral prayer) and burial at the deceased’s residence.
The FG, the press statement shows, has aready mandated 25 members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to attend the full burial schedule in Katsina and remain through to the third-day prayer ceremony in Daura on Wednesday, 16 July.
As a result, the special FEC meeting originally set for Tuesday has been moved to Friday, 18 July.
Simultaneously, condolence registers have been opened in all ministries, departments, and agencies, as well as at Nigerian missions and embassies abroad.
Additional public condolence books are available at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
Notably, messages of sympathy have continued to arrive from world leaders, reflecting the international respect accorded to the late Nigerian statesman.
Buhari, who served as military ruler from 1983 to 1985 before returning as an elected president in 2015, is remembered as a figure of immense national influence, with a legacy that spans decades of service.
The final rites in Daura are expected to draw dignitaries, clerics, political allies, and ordinary Nigerians from across the country, marking the end of an era in Nigeria’s political history.
