- Garba Shehu confirms ex-president’s death in brief statement
- Buhari, 81, battled health issues during and after presidency
- Funeral arrangements to be announced by the family
Former Nigerian President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has died in London at the age of 81.
The news of his passing was confirmed on Sunday afternoon in a statement by his longtime media aide, Garba Shehu.
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihirrajiuun. The family of the former president has announced the passing on of the former president, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon in a clinic in London. May Allah accept him in Aljannatul Firdaus, Amin,” Shehu said in the statement dated July 13, 2025.
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The cause of death has not yet been disclosed, but Buhari had a long history of seeking medical treatment in the United Kingdom, both during his time in office and after leaving power in May 2023.
A Defining Figure in Nigeria’s History
Buhari, a retired major general in the Nigerian Army, first ruled Nigeria as a military head of state between 1983 and 1985, following a coup that ousted the civilian government of President Shehu Shagari. He was himself removed in a palace coup led by General Ibrahim Babangida.
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In 2015, Buhari returned to power as a democratically elected president, making history as the first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent, Goodluck Jonathan, at the polls. He was re-elected in 2019, serving two terms before handing over to his successor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in 2023.
As of press time, details of funeral arrangements have not been announced. Buhari’s family and the Federal Government are expected to release an official programme for burial rites in accordance with Islamic tradition.
