In a solemn ceremony marked by military honours and international presence, President Bola Tinubu received the body of late former President Muhammadu Buhari in Katsina, ahead of his final interment in his hometown of Daura. Buhari passed away in a London hospital on Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the age of 83.
President Tinubu touched down at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport in Katsina at 1:42 p.m. and was welcomed with a formal guard of honour. Just minutes later, at 1:51 p.m., a Nigerian Air Force plane carrying Buhari’s remains arrived, signaling the beginning of a state-led farewell for the former leader.
The arrival ceremony brought together high-ranking dignitaries from across Nigeria and West Africa. Among those present were Vice President Kashim Shettima, Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine, former Nigerien President Issoufou Mahamadou, and Nigeria’s former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. The late President’s widow, Aisha Buhari, and close family members also accompanied the remains home.
Military honours were in full display as a joint team of senior military officers—comprising the Army, Navy, and Air Force—served as pallbearers. They slowly marched with Buhari’s casket, which was draped in the Nigerian flag, to the sound of the hymn “God Be With You Till We Meet Again.” The procession passed through a guard of honour made up of six officers and 96 soldiers.
The dignitaries walked behind the casket in a quiet, dignified procession. The coffin was then placed in a military hearse for the final leg of the journey to Daura, where funeral prayers and burial rites will be held in accordance with Islamic tradition and national protocol.
Tuesday’s ceremony was capped with a 21-gun salute in honour of the former Head of State, who served Nigeria as both military ruler and civilian president. The state funeral proceedings continue in Daura, with the nation and the world watching as Nigeria bids farewell to one of its most consequential leaders.
