Our reporter
Former President Muhammadu Buhari was laid to rest on Tuesday in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, drawing the curtain on a consequential chapter in Nigeria’s political history. The late statesman was interred at his family compound, Gidan Goge, in accordance with Islamic rites, following his death in a London medical facility.
His remains, draped in the national flag, were flown into Nigeria earlier in the day and received at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport, Katsina, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and other dignitaries. From there, the casket was conveyed in a military hearse for the one-hour journey to Daura.
At the solemn funeral ceremony, President Tinubu joined Senate President Godswill Akpabio, top government functionaries, former and current political allies, and hundreds of mourners to pay their final respects to the man who served as Nigeria’s civilian president from 2015 to 2023.
The burial prayers, conducted by Islamic clerics, were marked by deep emotions as family members, supporters, and ordinary Nigerians expressed grief and admiration for Buhari’s impact on the nation.
Though his time in office was often the subject of debate and scrutiny, Buhari was widely acknowledged for his austere personal lifestyle, military background, and unyielding stance on issues of national integrity and security.
“This is a significant loss not only to Daura and Katsina but to Nigeria as a whole,” one mourner remarked. “We may agree or disagree with his politics, but we cannot deny that he shaped the course of the country in many ways.”
President Tinubu, who served as Buhari’s successor, described the late leader as “a man of discipline and conviction” and pledged to honour his legacy by upholding the principles of service and national unity.
Buhari’s passing has left a void in the political landscape and triggered tributes from leaders across Africa and beyond. His burial marks the end of a historic era for Nigeria, closing the life chapter of a man who first governed the country as a military ruler in the 1980s and later returned as a democratically elected president.
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