Final Journey of Muhammadu Buhari: Nigeria Bids Farewell as Late President Is Laid to Rest in Daura
Story written by Okafor Joseph (July 15, 2025)
Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari, has begun his final journey home — a solemn return to Daura, the northern town of his birth and now his final resting place.
On Monday, July 15, 2025, a Nigerian Air Force aircraft carrying Buhari’s remains landed at Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport in Katsina around 2:00 p.m. His body had been flown from London, where he passed away on Sunday, July 13, at the age of 82, following a brief illness.
The atmosphere at the airport was somber and emotional. A military honour guard stood in formation as the flag-draped casket was received by close family members, senior government officials, and military personnel. The moment marked not only the return of a national figure but also the final chapter of a decades-long journey through Nigeria’s political and military landscape.
Vice President Kashim Shettima led the federal government delegation from London, fulfilling a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. President Tinubu had arrived earlier in Katsina and joined Katsina State Governor Dikko Umar Radda to formally receive Buhari’s remains.
Also present were First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, traditional rulers, and a wide array of dignitaries, all gathered in what has become a moment of national mourning and reflection.
After brief ceremonial proceedings at the airport, the late president’s body was transferred into a waiting hearse. A convoy then began the quiet road journey to Daura — a symbolic and personal decision, reflecting Buhari’s lifelong attachment to simplicity and his hometown roots.
Along the route, thousands of mourners lined the streets. Many were seen weeping, others praying in silence, united in grief and respect for a man often described as “Mai Gaskiya” — the Honest One.
In Daura, arrangements for Islamic burial rites had already been finalized. Buhari is to be laid to rest in accordance with Islamic traditions, consistent with the values he upheld throughout his life.
From his emergence as a military leader in the 1980s to his two-term civilian presidency from 2015 to 2023, Buhari’s legacy continues to spark both admiration and criticism. But on this day, Nigerians set aside political divisions to honour a former head of state whose story remains inseparable from the nation’s modern history.
A crowd of mourners — including foreign diplomats, religious leaders, and everyday Nigerians — have now converged in Daura to pay their last respects, marking the end of an era and the farewell of a president who shaped Nigeria’s path in profound ways.
