The remains of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari have left London en route to Nigeria for final burial rites in Daura, Katsina State.
The Nigerian Air Force carried Buhari’s body on Tuesday morning, with a Federal Government delegation led by Vice President Kashim Shettima on hand to manage repatriation processes. The government confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will officially receive the late leader’s remains in Katsina.
Information Minister Mohammed Idris provided critical details during a press briefing in Abuja. He said the late president, who succumbed to illness in a London hospital on Sunday, is expected to arrive Nigeria by midday Tuesday. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, will personally receive the remains of the former President in Katsina,” the minister emphasized.
A solemn military ceremony is planned at the Katsina airport to honor Buhari’s service. Subsequently, the body will be taken to Daura to undergo Jana’iza and burial at the family compound, as instructed by the minister.
In observance of the national grief, condolence registers will be set up in federal government offices and Nigerian diplomatic missions abroad, including a central one at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
Minister Idris remarked on the widespread outpouring of sympathy from international leaders, underscoring Buhari’s prominence on the global stage.
To coordinate the burial events, an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has been constituted. This group will work closely with Katsina state authorities and the Buhari family.
In preparation for the funeral rites, 25 Federal Executive Council members have been ordered to proceed to Katsina and stay through the Third-Day prayers.