By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
London, United Kingdom — Monday, July 14, 2025
Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has arrived in London this morning to oversee the repatriation of the body of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away on Sunday after a prolonged illness.
Acting on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Shettima touched down in the United Kingdom in the company of the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila. The Nigerian delegation was warmly received at the airport by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, and the Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum.
In a brief statement to journalists upon his arrival, Vice President Shettima said, “Early this morning, I arrived in London in the company of the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, on the directive of my boss, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari. I will accompany the remains of the former President to Nigeria for burial in Daura, Katsina State.”
The Merit Newspaper reports that the late President Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s Head of State from 2015 to 2023, died in a London clinic where he had been receiving treatment. His passing marks the end of an era in Nigerian political history, as Buhari remained a central figure in the nation’s democratic evolution for over four decades.
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The Nigerian High Commission in London is coordinating with the Presidential delegation to ensure a seamless repatriation of the body. Preparations are also underway in Daura, Katsina State, where the former President will be laid to rest according to Islamic rites.
Further details regarding the funeral arrangements are expected to be released by the Presidency in due course.
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Photos from the airport arrival this morning show a solemn Shettima alongside other top Nigerian officials, reflecting the mood of the nation as it mourns one of its most prominent statesmen.
