Late President Muhammadu Buhari Burial Updates — 1942 to 2025

By Joke Kujenya 

NIGERIA’s FIRST Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has arrived the Umaru Musa Ya’Adua Airport in Katsina to pay her last respects to the late former President Muhammadu Tinubu as the nation paused to honour a statesman whose influence spanned military rule and democratic governance.

The late president was buried in Daura, Katsina State, later today, Tuesday.

His body reportedly arrived from London, where he died on Sunday, 13 July, aged 82, following a prolonged illness.

The presidential aircraft transporting Buhari’s body departed the United Kingdom (UK) at 7:48am, arriving in Nigeria after a seven-hour flight.

Burial proceedings, initially set for 2.00pm, were delayed slightly due to the arrival schedule. Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina led the state’s preparations, overseeing logistics and security in Daura where large crowds had gathered in anticipation of the ceremony.

Military officials, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and political allies arrived steadily.

Among them were former governors Aminu Masari, Nasir El-Rufai, and Ibikunle Amosun, alongside prominent figures such as former Minister Isa Pantami, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’adu Abubakar, and the Emir of Kazaure, Ahmad Dangiwa.

First Lady Remi Tinubu had travelled from Abuja to join her predecessor Aisha Buhari, the widow of the late president, at the family compound in Daura.

Their longstanding relationship reflected the personal grief shared among Nigeria’s political elite.

Buhari’s legacy has drawn mixed reflections.

He was revered by some Nigerians for his disciplined personal style and declared anti-corruption stance, which earned him significant public support, especially during his 2015 electoral victory, he first time an incumbent president was defeated at the polls.

Yet his time in office was also marked by controversial policies, a sluggish economy, insecurity, and human rights concerns, including the government’s response to the 2020 #EndSARS protests and the suspension of Twitter.

Despite these controversies, the outpouring of tributes from across the nation and beyond reflects the towering presence Buhari held in Nigeria’s post-independence history.

As a former military head of state turned democratically elected president, he represented a complex chapter in the nation’s political evolution.

His final journey, from London to Daura, conducted with solemnity, would culminate with state honour.