The ancient town of Daura in Katsina State was last Tuesday host to both the high and low in their hundreds of thousands of males and females from within and outside Nigeria. Their mission was to witness the islamic and military burial of Nigeria’s immediate past President of the country, Muhammadu Buhari, who died in a London clinic on Sunday, July 13th 2025.
The military burial rites saw a parade and the traditional 21 gun salute as a mark of respect for the late military Head of state, a General and also as a civilian President and commander in chief of the country’s Armed Forces. This was followed with a special Federal Executive Council meeting last Thursday in honour of the late President with Buhari’s only surviving son in attendance. Consequent upon late fPMB examplary leadership of the country, President Bola Tinubu renamed the University of Maiduguri., UNIMAID as Muhammadu Buhari University.
President Tinubu accompanied by , his VP, Kashim Shettima, former VPs Atiku Abubakar, Yemi Osinbajo among others led some African leaders to the burial at late Buhari’s country home to bid him farewell in Daura.
The burial attracted international dignitaries including President Umaru Sissoci Embaló of Guinea-Bissau, Prime Minister of Niger Republic, Ali Lamine Zeine, and former President of Niger, Issoufou Mahamadou.
Others in attendance included high-ranking government officials, traditional rulers, political leaders, present and former Governors; present and former Ministers, service chiefs, businessmen, legislators from the National and state assemblies, citizens, the downtrodden among others from all walks of life to pay final respect to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Federal Government had since declared a 7day mourning period, the flying of the national flag at half-mast in all public places and a 1day national public holiday in honour of the late president.
Hundreds of thousands tributes and condolences have been pouring since his death from within and outside Nigeria for the late former President Muhammadu Buhari. World leaders, diplomats, and statesmen have expressed their heart felt sympathies following his death.
Muhammadu Buhari will be remembered for his spartan and austere disposition, commitment to discipline, integrity, and the fight against corruption, which formed the cornerstone of his 8-year administration from 2015-2023.
In his condolence message titled:
“Buhari: titanic in life and Triumphant in death”, Bala Ibrahim, a Director at the APC headquarters in Abuja said: ‘Hate him or love him, former President Muhammadu Buhari, now late, lived a life worthy of emulation added: “Buhari was a symbol of modesty, honesty, an example of self-effacement, and legend that would continue to be admired, to the point that his stories would be passed down through generations.”
A columnist with the Daily Trust newspaper, Ussiju Medaner described Buhari as a ‘man of remarkable will, discipline, and consistency.’ He stood firmly for accountability, integrity, and national unity, even when his path was unpopular or misunderstood. His military stint was defined by fierce patriotism and his civilian leadership was often driven by a moral resolve to fight corruption and reposition Nigeria.
Some Daura residents, who spoke with The Guardian, described Buhari as a humble, honest, and simple person who always had the love of Nigeria at heart.
His presidency, which spanned from 2015 to 2023, was marked by economic challenges, including two recessions, one before and another during the Covid 19 era.
One of Nigeria’s most well-known political figures, Buhari was a retired major general whose two-term civilian administration, which ended in 2023, was marked by a comprehensive anti-corruption agenda, an economic reform programme, and consistent efforts to tackle insecurity across the nation.
In its condolence message, the Buhari media organisation, BMO, stated that his memory will remain indelible in the minds of millions of Nigerians and those across the world, describing.
Buhari as a ‘Nigerian patriot who believed in Nigeria and served Nigeria patriotically in various capacities.
Nigerians will remember him as leading Nigeria at some of its most difficult periods but faced the challenges head-on, re-engineering the economy, bailing out state governments, paying-off decades-old pension liabilities, building critical infrastructure across the country, implementing agricultural development programmes for self sufficiency and the biggest social welfare programmes targeted at the poorest of the poor and the vulnerable.
Buhari’s tenure saw the equipping of Nigeria’s Armed forces in a manner unprecedented in history to counter security challenges afflicting that his imprints in Nigeria’s socio-economic development will remain indelible, BMO added.
In summary, Buhari had remained consistent in his belief in integrity, order, and the dignity of public office. He served Nigeria with utmost sense of responsibility and unwavering commitment.
Indeed, the late fPMB left a legacy of integrity, discipline, transparency, accountability and patriotism among others for generations yet unborn.
Ilallah can be reached at musahk123@yahoo.com
