Former President Muhammadu Buhari was laid to rest on Tuesday in a deeply personal and symbolic corner of his Daura residence, the garden where he often sat during his lifetime.
The late leader’s body was interred shortly after funeral prayers, which were held near a helipad close to his home in Katsina State.
The burial marked a solemn moment not only for his family and community but for the nation he once led as both a military ruler and a civilian president.
President Bola Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, and the Prime Minister of Niger Republic, Ali Lamine Zeine, were among dignitaries present at the graveside, joining family members, associates, and a strong military delegation in paying their last respects.
Buhari’s flag-draped body was wheeled to the burial spot on a military trolley by pallbearers. A round of gun salutes echoed across the compound, honouring him as a former commander-in-chief. General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, read a heartfelt citation in tribute before the final interment.
The chosen gravesite, nestled in his favourite garden corner, was described by family members as a place of serenity where Buhari often reflected and welcomed close visitors.
The private nature of the resting spot underscored his characteristic simplicity and fondness for quiet introspection.
Before the burial, President Tinubu arrived in Katsina from Abuja at 1:42 p.m., inspecting a guard of honour at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport, just minutes before the Nigerian Air Force jet transporting Buhari’s remains landed at 1:51 p.m.
The funeral procession then proceeded under heavy security to Daura, Buhari’s hometown, where crowds had gathered to honour a man who loomed large in Nigeria’s modern political history.
Muhammadu Buhari died on Sunday, July 13, 2025, in a London hospital after a long illness. He was 82. His death prompted an outpouring of tributes and a seven-day national mourning period declared by the federal government.
Buhari served Nigeria as a military head of state from 1983 to 1985, and later as a two-term civilian president from 2015 to 2023.
