Buhari’s Final Journey Home Begins as Burial Preparations Take Shape in Daura
The body of former President Muhammadu Buhari has left London and is on its way to Nigeria, where he will be laid to rest in Daura, Katsina State—his hometown and place of deep personal significance.
Garba Shehu, the late leader’s longtime spokesperson, confirmed on Tuesday that arrangements for the burial are already in motion. “The body departed London at 7:48 a.m. and is expected to arrive in Nigeria after about seven hours. The grave at his private home in Daura is being prepared,” Shehu told reporters.
Transported aboard a Nigerian Air Force aircraft, Buhari’s remains are scheduled to touch down in Katsina later today.
The federal government has announced that the late statesman will be honored with a full state burial. Buhari is remembered for his dual leadership roles—first as a military ruler from 1983 to 1985, and later as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023.
He passed away on Sunday, July 13, 2025, in a London hospital after a lengthy illness that had kept him largely out of public view in recent weeks.
In a departure from tradition, Buhari will not be interred in a public cemetery or government burial site. Instead, he will be laid to rest on the grounds of his personal residence in Daura—a private farewell fitting for a man who was never quite conventional.
Security has been heightened across Katsina State ahead of the ceremony, which will draw senior government officials, military leaders, and other dignitaries paying their final respects.
