The remains of former President Muhammadu Buhari have arrived in Katsina, his home state, for burial.
This occurred shortly after President Bola Tinubu touched down in Katsina State ahead of the burial ceremony.
A high-powered delegation from the neighbouring Republic of Niger also landed in Katsina on Tuesday morning to participate in the final burial rites of the late Nigerian leader, who passed away on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at a hospital in London following a prolonged illness.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also confirmed his presence for the burial rites.
“I just arrived in Daura for the interment of former President Muhammadu Buhari,” he shared in a message posted on X.
Reports indicate that preparations for Buhari’s burial had reached an advanced stage, with his grave already dug in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State.
The body of the late president was flown in aboard a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft, accompanied by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, and other senior government officials.
According to sources, virtually all major hotels in the Katsina metropolis had been fully booked since Monday, as top government officials, diplomats, military generals, and political allies continued to arrive for the high-profile state burial.
There has also been a heavy deployment of security operatives across Katsina State, especially in Daura. Armoured personnel carriers, battle-ready soldiers, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), and anti-riot police squads were seen at strategic locations, including roads leading to Buhari’s residence and hotels hosting top dignitaries.
Earlier, First Lady Senator Remi Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio arrived in Katsina for the ceremony.
Initial burial plans had scheduled Buhari’s return to Nigeria for Monday, but those arrangements were adjusted due to delays from London.
Presidential aide Bashir Ahmad confirmed the development on Monday, stating that the former president’s remains would now arrive by noon on Tuesday, with funeral prayers and final interment scheduled for 2:00 PM the same day in Daura.
The Federal Government also declared Tuesday, July 15, 2025, a public holiday to honour the late president and to enable Nigerians—especially in the North-West region—to participate in or observe the state burial events.
Buhari, a native of Daura, served as Nigeria’s military head of state from January 1984 to August 1985, and later returned to power as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023.
While he was praised in some quarters for his austere lifestyle and perceived integrity, his time in office was also marked by controversy — including human rights violations, the killing of Shiite Muslims and others, widespread insecurity, economic hardship, and allegations of nepotism.
