Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, was laid to rest on Tuesday in his hometown of Daura in a solemn ceremony steeped in national pride and Islamic tradition.
The late president, who died in a London hospital on Sunday, was honoured with full military rites as his body—draped in the green-white-green flag—was carried by pallbearers of the Nigerian Armed Forces to his final resting place in the courtyard of his private residence.
Earlier in the day, Janazah prayers were offered at a makeshift prayer ground nearby, with thousands of mourners in attendance, including family members, traditional rulers, political figures, and dignitaries from across the country.
A hush fell over the crowd as soldiers stood in salute, trumpets echoed a mournful tribute, and a 21-gun salute marked the final goodbye to one of Nigeria’s most iconic and controversial leaders—who once ruled as a military head of state from 1983 to 1985 and returned as a civilian president from 2015 to 2023.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima led the high-powered delegation that received Buhari’s remains at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport in Katsina. Tight security accompanied the motorcade to Daura where the late statesman was finally laid to rest.
The mood in Daura was one of deep reflection, as Nigeria bid farewell to a man whose leadership left a lasting imprint on the nation’s political history.