Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari, has passed away at the age of 82.
His former spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, confirmed the news in a statement issued on Sunday afternoon.
According to the statement, the former president died at a private clinic in London, United Kingdom.
“The family of the former president has announced the passing of Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon in a clinic in London, may Allah accept him into Aljannatul Firdaus,” Shehu said.
Born in 1942, Buhari served as Nigeria’s Head of State from January 1984 to August 1985 following a military coup.
Decades later, he emerged as a key political figure in Nigeria’s return to democracy.
In 1994, under the regime of General Sani Abacha, he was appointed Executive Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), a role in which he supervised critical infrastructure development across the country.
Buhari contested for the presidency three times, in 2003, 2007, and 2011, before securing victory in 2015 under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defeating the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan.
He was re-elected in 2019 and completed his second term in office in 2023.
Over the course of his career, Buhari received numerous national and military honours, including the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR), Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR), Defence Service Medal, National Service Medal, and the Forces Service Star.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family in due course.
