Vice President Kashim Shettima and Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila landed at London’s Stansted Airport to collect the body of former President Muhammadu Buhari. They are leading the Nigerian delegation tasked with accompanying Buhari’s remains back home for final rites in Katsina State .
Buhari passed away on Sunday at the age of 82 while receiving treatment at a London clinic after a prolonged illness. His death marks the end of a storied career in which he first came to power as military head of state in the 1980s and later served two terms as Nigeria’s democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023 .
President Bola Tinubu has declared seven days of national mourning, ordering the Nigerian flag to fly at half-mast and directing Vice-President Shettima to escort the late leader’s remains back to Nigeria. Buhari is to be buried in accordance with Islamic rites upon arrival in his home state .
The Nigerian delegation was received on the tarmac by Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar and Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum before a brief handover ceremony. Once the formalities in London conclude, the body will be flown to Abuja for another ceremony, after which it will continue on to Katsina .
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