How Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Was Laid to Rest in Daura

DAURA, Katsina State – Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was buried Tuesday in his northern hometown as thousands of people lined the streets to say goodbye.

The 82-year-old former military ruler and two-time democratic president was laid to rest with full military honours in the courtyard of his private residence in Daura, following Islamic funeral rites.

The solemn ceremony marked the end of an era for Nigeria’s most populous nation, as the country bid farewell to a leader who had governed the country twice – first as a military head of state from 1983 to 1985, and later as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023.

The burial ceremony drew an impressive gathering of dignitaries, family members, traditional rulers, and political leaders from across Nigeria and beyond.

His remains were buried at his home in Daura, Katsina State in accordance with Islamic principles.

He was given a televised state funeral and state burial that was also attended by incumbent and former heads of state and government from Guinea-Bissau and Niger.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived in Kastina for the burial ceremony of late Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari.

The current president was accompanied by Vice President Kashim Shettima and other top government officials who received Buhari’s remains at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport before the body was transported to Daura under tight security.

The burial ceremony was marked by the pomp and circumstance befitting a former head of state.

Buhari’s body, draped in the green-white-green colours of the Nigerian flag, was wheeled to the graveside on a gurney by military pallbearers.

Soldiers stood at attention and rendered a final salute, while a military band solemnly played their trumpets, which was followed by gun salutes in tribute.

The graveside service included a colorful military honor and the presentation of the national flag to his family, accompanied by a 21-gun salute, a customary military honor for heads of state.

The ceremony took place shortly after Janazah (funeral) prayers were held at a nearby makeshift ground.

Emotional scenes unfolded as supporters gathered to bid farewell to the man they affectionately called “Baba.”

Nigeria’s former President Muhammadu Buhari was buried in the backyard of his home in Daura, a town in the northern Katsina state, as supporters climbed trees and shouted “Sai Baba” to bid farewell to the leader who had been particularly popular among the Talakawa – a Hausa term for the northern poor.

Buhari’s body had been repatriated from London, where he died on Sunday following a prolonged illness.

The former president had been receiving medical treatment in the UK capital, continuing a pattern of frequent medical trips abroad that had characterized the latter part of his presidency.

President Tinubu received Buhari’s body, accompanied by service chiefs and other top politicians.

A brief ceremony was conducted at the airport by the Nigerian military.

Hundreds of Nigerians had gathered since dawn to pay their last respects to the former president of Nigeria.

Buhari’s death and burial ceremony highlighted the complex legacy of a leader who had governed Nigeria during two distinct periods of its history.

Born in 1942, he first seized power in a military coup in 1983, establishing a regime known for its anti-corruption efforts and enforcement of public discipline, though it also drew criticism for press restrictions and the imprisonment of journalists.

After being overthrown in 1985 and briefly imprisoned, Buhari later re-entered politics, embracing democratic governance.

He made history in 2015 by becoming the first opposition candidate to defeat a sitting president in Nigeria’s democratic era, after three unsuccessful attempts.

This victory was widely seen as a major milestone in Nigeria’s democratic journey.

During his democratic tenure from 2015 to 2023, Buhari was re-elected in 2019 and earned a reputation as a cautious leader – earning the nickname “Baba Go Slow” for his deliberate approach to governance, including taking six months to appoint his first cabinet.

He was given a state burial in his home town of Daura in Katsina State on the 15th of July 2025.

The interment, which took place at approximately 5:50 PM local time, was conducted in accordance with Islamic tradition and honored Buhari’s personal wish to be buried at home rather than in a state cemetery.

The former president is survived by ten children from his two marriages, leaving behind a legacy that will continue to be debated and analyzed for years to come.

The ceremony concluded with military honors, prayers, and the quiet dignity that characterized much of Buhari’s public life, as Nigeria bid farewell to one of its most consequential leaders in the democratic era.