The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, have arrived in London, United Kingdom (UK) to take custody of the remains of immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, barely 24 hours after been pronounced dead by medical experts in one of the country’s facility.
The duo, who are leading the Nigerian government delegation, will be leading the former president’s body back to the country for burial as stipulated by the Islamic law.
They arrived the country on Monday morning in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive that Buhari’s body be flown back to Nigeria for a state burial immediately.
They were received by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, and other senior government officials at the airport.
President Tinubu had earlier declared national mourning and ordered flags to fly at half-mast across the country, describing the former leader’s death as a painful national loss while also extending his condolences to the Buhari family and the people of Katsina State.
The 82-year-old former president, passed on in a London hospital around 4:30 p.m. yesterday after losing the battle with a prolonged underlying illness.
As a native of Daura, Katsina State, Buhari served as Nigeria’s civilian president from 2015 to 2023, and earlier as military head of state between 1984 and 1985.
