By Abdul Lauya
Former President Muhammadu Buhari was laid to rest in his hometown of Daura on Tuesday evening, July 15, 2025, following a solemn state ceremony attended by top Nigerian and West African leaders.
The final rites followed the arrival of Buhari’s remains at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport in Katsina earlier in the afternoon, where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu received the casket alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima.
In attendance were Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine, former Nigerien President Issoufou Mahamadou, and former Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
A combined military honour guard wheeled the casket, draped in the national flag, to a waiting hearse for the final leg of the journey to Daura. Residents lined the streets, quietly paying respects as the motorcade passed.
In Daura, Islamic funeral prayers were held at the central mosque, led by prominent clerics and attended by dignitaries, family members, and ordinary Nigerians. Buhari was buried at his private residence in accordance with Islamic rites.
The casket was borne by a joint team of senior military officers comprising Major-General Mohammed Usman, Major-General Oluwafemi Williams, Major-General Shuaibu Nudu, Rear Admiral Suleiman Dahun, Rear Admiral Jonathan Ajodo.
Others were Rear Admiral Samuel Ngatuwa, Air Vice Marshal Adeniyi Herbert Amesinlola, Air Vice Marshal Idi Sanni, and Air Vice Marshal Obinna Obiabaka. The team was coordinated by Major General Mike Alechenu.
The Nigerian military accorded the late leader full honours, including a 21-gun salute, a final gesture of national gratitude for his service as military head of state from 1983 to 1985 and civilian president from 2015 to 2023.
Buhari died in a London hospital on Sunday, July 13, at the age of 82. His death marks the end of an era in Nigerian politics, one defined by a strongman legacy, contested reforms, and an enduring influence on the country’s conservative base.
The federal government has earlier declared Tuesday a national holiday in honour of the late president, with flags flying at half-mast for three days.
