Vice President Kashim Shettima and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, have arrived in London to receive the body of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 82.
Leading a high-level delegation on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, Shettima and Gbajabiamila were received by Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar and Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, among other dignitaries.
President Tinubu had directed the vice president and his chief of staff to head the Nigerian delegation and oversee arrangements for the repatriation and burial of the late statesman.
Buhari died in a London clinic on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. following a prolonged illness. Details of the illness remain undisclosed. His former spokesperson, Garba Shehu, had earlier noted the former leader was in “recovery mode” despite reports of his declining health.
Flags have been ordered to fly at half-mast nationwide in Buhari’s honour, and an official mourning period is expected to be declared.
Buhari served Nigeria both as a military and civilian leader — first as military head of state from 1983 to 1985, and later as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023. He was widely respected for his anti-corruption stance and his austere personal lifestyle, earning him the nickname “Mai Gaskiya” (The Honest One) among loyal supporters.
His two-term presidency was marked by a vigorous campaign against graft, as well as significant controversies, including high-profile corruption scandals involving several of his appointees.
Born in Daura, Katsina State, in 1942, Buhari joined the Nigerian Army in 1961 and rose to the rank of Major General. He was the first military governor of Borno State and later served as the Federal Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources in the late 1970s.
Buhari is survived by his wife, Aisha Buhari, and ten children.
