NIGERIA: Tinubu to Receive Buhari’s Body in Katsina Tuesday as Nation Begins Mourning

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria

Nigeria is set to bid farewell to former President Muhammadu Buhari, whose remains will arrive in Katsina on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, ahead of his burial in his hometown, Daura.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, confirmed during a press briefing in Abuja on Monday that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will personally receive Buhari’s body at the airport in Katsina.

Idris announced: “The body of the former President, who died on Sunday in a London hospital, is expected to arrive Nigeria by 12 noon on Tuesday. A brief military ceremony will be held at the airport before the body is moved to Daura.”

According to the Minister, the Janaza (Islamic funeral prayer) and interment will follow shortly after at the late President’s residence.

It was also noted that the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima is currently in London, where he is leading a Federal Government delegation to oversee final documentation and logistics for the repatriation of the remains.

President Tinubu has also ordered the opening of condolence registers across all Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, as well as Nigerian embassies and missions abroad. Another register will be placed at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.

In response to the outpouring of grief, Idris noted, “Condolences from Heads of State and Governments across the globe are a testament to the global stature and legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

To ensure a coordinated national farewell, it was gathered that the President Tinubu has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

The committee will work closely with the Katsina State Government and the Buhari family.

The minister further disclosed that 25 members of the Federal Executive Council have been directed to attend the burial rites and remain in Daura for the Third-Day prayers scheduled for Wednesday.