lliyasu Abdullahi Bah
The remains of former President Muhammadu Buhari have arrived at Umar Musa Yar’Adua Airport in Katsina State, marking the beginning of the final rites for the late Nigerian leader who died in London on Sunday.
A Nigerian Air Force aircraft conveying the body touched down shortly before noon on Tuesday. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led the official delegation to receive the late president’s remains, alongside governors, federal ministers, members of the National Assembly, and other top government officials.
Following a brief military ceremony at the airport, the body was transported to Daura, Buhari’s hometown in Katsina State, where he will be buried in accordance with Islamic rites.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had earlier confirmed the arrival schedule during a press briefing in Abuja, noting that President Tinubu would personally attend the arrival and funeral proceedings.
“The Jana’iza (funeral prayer) will take place thereafter, followed by interment at the late President’s residence,” Idris stated.
In honour of the late president, the federal government has declared Tuesday, July 15, a national public holiday. President Tinubu has also directed that condolence registers be opened across all Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as at Nigerian embassies and diplomatic missions worldwide. A central condolence register has also been opened at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
Idris further disclosed that 25 members of the Federal Executive Council have been assigned to attend the funeral and remain in Daura for the third-day Muslim prayer service scheduled for Wednesday.
The federal government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee, chaired by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator George Akume, to coordinate national mourning activities in collaboration with the Katsina State Government and the Buhari family.
Tributes have continued to pour in from global leaders, with Idris noting that the outpouring of condolences reflects Buhari’s international stature and enduring legacy.
“Condolences coming in from Heads of State and Governments across the globe are a testament to the global stature and legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari,” he said.
Buhari, who was 82, served as Nigeria’s Head of State between 1983 and 1985 and later as democratically elected President from 2015 to 2023. His passing has been met with nationwide mourning, with flags flying at half-mast across the country.