Nigeria plunged into mourning Sunday following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who breathed his last at a London clinic after years of health struggles. The federal government swiftly declared Tuesday, July 15, 2025, a public holiday to honor the late leader, described by President Bola Tinubu as “a titan of integrity and service.”  

President Tinubu, who initially declared a seven-day national mourning period, expanded the tribute by approving Tuesday as a day of reflection. “This holiday offers every Nigerian the chance to contemplate President Buhari’s unwavering dedication to our nation and the humility he brought to leadership,” Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced in an official statement.  

Plans for Buhari’s final journey took shape as Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda confirmed the former leader’s remains would arrive at Katsina International Airport by noon Tuesday. “The burial will proceed swiftly in accordance with Islamic rites,” Radda told journalists Monday after returning from London, where he joined the bereaved family. The ceremony, initially slated for Monday, faced delays due to logistical challenges but will now see Buhari laid to rest in his ancestral home of Daura by 2 p.m. local time.  

Preparations in Daura, a historic town 80 kilometers from Katsina city, intensified as mourners flooded Buhari’s residence. The austere former military ruler, who governed Nigeria twice—first as a junta leader in the 1980s and later as a democratically elected president in 2015—will be interred without a state funeral. Islamic cleric Abdullahi Garangamawa, speaking to RNG247, emphasized the adherence to Sunni traditions: “Burial must occur swiftly, without pomp. Simplicity honors the departed.”  

Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed Buhari succumbed to “a brief illness,” though specifics remained undisclosed. Tributes cascaded from across the political spectrum, including from former rivals. Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, unseated by Buhari in 2015’s landmark election, hailed him as “a selfless patriot whose life was a testament to duty.” General Ibrahim Babangida, who ousted Buhari in a 1985 coup, praised his erstwhile adversary as “a moral compass who redefined modesty in public service.”  

President Tinubu, expected to join dignitaries at the Daura funeral prayers, ordered national flags flown at half-mast nationwide until July 20. “We bid farewell to a leader who shaped our nation’s destiny with quiet determination,” Tinubu stated, underscoring Buhari’s historic 2015 victory as the first opposition candidate to unseat an incumbent.  

As Nigeria grapples with the loss, Buhari’s legacy—marked by anti-corruption drives and agricultural reforms—dominates public discourse. His final journey home, streamed live for millions, promises to close a chapter on a leader whose stoicism polarized a nation yet earned him global respect.