A former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has passed away at the age of 82.
His former spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, confirmed the news in a statement on Sunday afternoon.
According to Shehu, “The family of the former president has announced the passing on of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon in a clinic in London. May Allah accept him in Aljannatul Firdaus.”
The former president, aged 81, had reportedly been battling an undisclosed ailment and was recently discharged from the intensive care unit of a London hospital.
Family sources say he had taken ill during a routine medical visit abroad and had remained under observation before his condition deteriorated.
While the specific nature of the illness was never made public, Buhari was believed to be recuperating before his sudden decline over the weekend. He died on Sunday at a hospital in the United Kingdom.
The late Buhari was a retired major general and one of Nigeria’s most iconic political figures. He first ruled as military head of state from 1983 to 1985 following a coup. He later returned to power in 2015 as a democratically elected president under the All Progressives Congress (APC), serving two consecutive terms before handing over in 2023.
His civilian administration was marked by a robust anti-corruption campaign, economic reform initiatives, and a protracted struggle against insurgency and insecurity, particularly in the North-East.
Buhari’s death marks the end of an era for Nigeria, closing the chapter on a public life that spanned over four decades in the military and political spheres.
Funeral arrangements and further official statements are expected from the federal government and the Buhari family in the coming days.
