Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was laid to rest on Tuesday in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, as thousands of mourners gathered along the streets to pay their final respects. Buhari died on Sunday at the age of 81 in London, where he had been receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed illness. His burial was conducted in accordance with Islamic rites, following a directive by President Bola Tinubu, who ordered national flags flown at half-mast and sent a high-level government delegation—led by Vice President Kashim Shettima—to repatriate the late leader’s remains. Buhari, a former military ruler who first seized power in a 1983 coup, returned to the helm of Africa’s most populous country in 2015 through democratic elections, becoming the first opposition candidate in Nigeria’s history to defeat an incumbent president. He was re-elected in 2019 and served two full terms, leaving office in 2023.
His rise was fueled by promises to root out corruption and end the brutal insurgency by Boko Haram in the northeast. However, many Nigerians say those pledges fell short. His presidency was marked by deepening insecurity, economic hardship, and widespread discontent, especially among the youth. Under his watch, Nigeria slid into two recessions, suffered from soaring inflation, and faced a crippling foreign currency shortage. Buhari’s controversial monetary policies, including a strict currency peg and restrictions on access to forex, strained the private sector and worsened investor confidence.
While he earned praise for some infrastructure projects and modest anti-graft reforms, critics accused him of authoritarianism. His administration was widely condemned for its response to the #EndSARS protests in 2020, during which soldiers opened fire on unarmed demonstrators in Lagos. Civil society groups also criticized restrictions on social media and clampdowns on dissent. Adding to the controversy were Buhari’s repeated and lengthy medical trips to London, which sparked public outrage as millions of Nigerians relied on poorly equipped hospitals at home. His absences, often unexplained, led to speculation about his health and calls for greater transparency.
Despite the criticism, Buhari remained a towering figure in Nigerian politics and retained strong support in parts of the north. He is remembered by supporters as a disciplined, no-nonsense leader, and by others as a symbol of missed opportunities. His death closes a complex chapter in Nigeria’s post-independence history, leaving behind a mixed legacy that continues to stir debate across the nation.
