The final voyage of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s body started with a peaceful drive to Daura, the northern town where his life started, where it will finally rest.
A military plane transporting Buhari’s remains from London, where he died on Sunday, July 13, at the age of 82, following a brief illness, landed at Katsina’s Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport earlier in the day at around 2:00 p.m.
The atmosphere in the airport was reportedly filled with sadness and grief.
Family members, intimate friends, and high-ranking government officials greeted the covered and stately casket while a military honour guard stood at attention.
Despite the formalities, many people in attendance found the moment to be quite personal.
President Bola Tinubu assigned Vice President Kashim Shettima to lead the federal delegation from the United Kingdom.
The president had previously travelled to Katsina and stood with Governor Dikko Umar Radda to accept the remains of a man who had played a significant role in Nigeria’s military and political history for many years.
First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu was also in attendance, joining others in what has turned into a national farewell and reflection time.
Also Recommended:
Katsina mourns in last moments as he is laid to rest at his Daura residence
The casket was silently loaded into a hearse after the ceremonial procedures were completed.
The convoy then travelled by road to Daura, a purposefully private choice that may have reflected the late president’s desire for simplicity and kinship.
There were mourners lining the streets along the path, some in silent prayer and others crying.
The Islamic funeral rites were already being prepared in Daura. Buhari will be buried according to the customs he so steadfastly defended throughout his life.
From his early days as a military ruler in the 1980s to his two-term civilian presidency between 2015 and 2023, Buhari’s legacy remains a subject of debate and devotion.
But on this day, across political lines and ideological divides, Nigerians gathered to say goodbye to the man many called Mai Gaskiya — the Honest One.
A sea of mourners have now converged in Daura. dignitaries, traditional rulers, foreign envoys, and everyday citizens — all coming together for a final farewell to a leader whose story is interwoven with Nigeria’s own.
Watch the full video here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN2HPy3qUOk
