Former Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, was laid to rest on Tuesday evening in the courtyard of his Daura residence in Katsina State, fulfilling his long-standing wish to be buried in his hometown.
The solemn burial ceremony followed Islamic and state funeral rites, witnessed by dignitaries from within and outside Nigeria. Buhari’s remains, wrapped in the green-white-green colours of the national flag, were committed to earth at about 5:50pm in line with Islamic tradition.
As a mark of honour, ceremonial gunshots echoed during the interment, and a military citation was read by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, as part of the official farewell to the former Commander-in-Chief.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who led the Federal Government delegation, received Buhari’s body at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport, Katsina, at exactly 1:51pm. A guard of honour was mounted in respect, followed by a solemn military procession that wheeled the casket to a waiting hearse.
Among those in attendance were Vice President Kashim Shettima, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, several serving governors including those of Ogun, Lagos, Borno, Kwara, Zamfara, Gombe, and Kano, as well as African leaders like Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, Niger Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine, and former President of Niger, Issoufou Mahamadou.
Also present were members of Buhari’s former cabinet, close associates, royal fathers, and members of the public, many of whom lined the streets of Daura to witness the final moments of a man who served Nigeria both as a military Head of State and as a democratically elected President.
Buhari died in London on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the age of 82, after a brief illness. His decision to be buried at home rather than at a public cemetery or national monument, sources said, reflected his lifelong attachment to Daura and his simple outlook on life.
In the words of a senior government official, “He wanted a quiet farewell in the land of his birth. That was how he lived, and that was how he wished to leave.”
