The remains of former President Muhammadu Buhari departed London on Tuesday morning for Daura, Katsina State, ahead of his state burial.
DIP CONNECT Online reports that Buhari’s body was flown on a Nigerian Air Force aircraft. Vice President Kashim Shettima is leading a high-level Federal Government delegation to finalise documentation and logistical arrangements for the repatriation.
On Monday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, confirmed that President Bola Tinubu will personally receive Buhari’s remains in Katsina before the final interment in Daura.
Idris, during a press briefing in Abuja, said the body is expected to arrive in Nigeria by noon on Tuesday. “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, will personally receive the remains of the former President in Katsina. A brief military ceremony will hold at the airport before the body is moved to Daura,” he said.
The Jana’iza (funeral prayer) and burial will then take place at Buhari’s residence in Daura.
As part of the national mourning, Tinubu has directed that condolence registers be opened across all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as at Nigerian embassies and missions abroad. Another register will be opened at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.
Idris noted that condolence messages from world leaders have continued to pour in, describing them as testament to Buhari’s global stature and legacy.
To ensure a dignified and well-coordinated burial, Tinubu has set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, working alongside the Katsina State Government and the Buhari family.
Additionally, 25 members of the Federal Executive Council have been directed to travel to Katsina for the burial rites and stay in Daura for the third-day prayers on Wednesday.
ADEOLA KUNLE
