Buhari’s remains arrive in Katsina amid tight security

The body of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari arrived on Tuesday at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport in Katsina State amid a heavy security presence and emotional scenes of national mourning.

Buhari, who died on Sunday at the age of 82 in a clinic in the United Kingdom, is set to be laid to rest later today in his hometown of Daura, in line with Islamic burial rites.

A high-powered Federal Government delegation, including a nine-member committee constituted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was on ground to receive the late statesman’s remains. The committee features senior government officials, Islamic clerics, and top-ranking military officers.

The arrival ceremony included a solemn military salute, with soldiers standing in formation as the Nigerian Air Force aircraft bearing the former president’s body touched down on the tarmac.

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The late president’s widow, Aisha Buhari, and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, who arrived earlier dressed in black, were present to pay their final respects.

From the airport, the funeral convoy departed immediately for Daura, where final burial arrangements are underway. A Jana’iza (funeral prayer) and interment will take place at the late president’s private residence.

The Federal Government has declared a national mourning period, with flags ordered to fly at half-mast across the country. Condolence registers have been opened in government offices, foreign missions, and at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.

Tributes continue to pour in from across the globe, with world leaders, regional blocs, and international organizations acknowledging Buhari’s contributions to Nigeria’s political evolution. He is remembered for his tenure as both military Head of State (1983–1985) and two-term civilian President (2015–2023).

The final rites in Daura mark the end of an era for a leader whose influence spanned nearly five decades in Nigeria’s public life.