Final Salute to a General: Buhari Laid to Rest in Daura with Military Honours and Global Tributes
16 July 2025
Byline: IDNN National Desk
Daura, Katsina State – Nigeria’s political and military elite converged on the ancient town of Daura on Tuesday to bid final farewell to former President Muhammadu Buhari, who died in London on Sunday at the age of 82. The state funeral, conducted under full Islamic rites and military honours, marked the end of an era and the burial of one of Nigeria’s most influential and controversial leaders.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and African dignitaries including President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea-Bissau, Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine, and former Niger President Issoufou Mahamadou led tributes in Daura. Former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Yemi Osinbajo also paid their respects in a ceremony that underscored Buhari’s legacy and regional stature.
The former president’s remains were flown aboard the same Nigerian Presidential Aircraft he used throughout his tenure, arriving at Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport in Katsina at 1:51 PM. Tinubu personally received the flag-draped casket minutes after his own arrival from Abuja.
The casket was wheeled in solemn slow march by a joint military pallbearer team of nine senior officers representing the Army, Navy, and Air Force. They were led by Major General Mike Alechenu and accompanied by hymns and a full military guard of honour.
At the PMB Helicopter Ground in Daura, thousands gathered for Salatul Janazah — the Islamic funeral prayer — led by Sheikh Salisu Rabiu, Chief Imam of Daura. Prayers were offered for forgiveness, peace, and eternal rest in Aljannatul Firdaus.
The event drew a constellation of Nigeria’s top political, military, and traditional figures:
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National Assembly leaders: Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin
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Governors: Over 25 state governors, led by Kwara’s AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Kano’s Abba Yusuf, Lagos’ Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and Katsina’s host Governor Dikko Radda
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Traditional rulers: Emirs of Katsina, Daura, and Kano
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Business moguls: Aliko Dangote, Sayyu Dantata, Dahiru Mangal
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Buhari’s inner circle: His wife Aisha Buhari, close associate Mamman Daura, and son Seyi Tinubu
In what became a powerful reflection of national mourning, over 130 aircraft movements were recorded in Katsina in 48 hours, according to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.
President Tinubu described the funeral as a national moment of “sober remembrance,” acknowledging Buhari’s “discipline, simplicity, and enduring belief in Nigeria.” In a solemn procession, Tinubu and Shettima followed the casket into a military hearse for the final interment at Buhari’s residence.
The 21-gun salute echoed across Daura as the late president was laid to rest at 5:50 PM, concluding a burial that combined military tradition, Islamic devotion, and deep national emotion.
Legacy, Love, and Loss
From ministers and governors to ordinary citizens, tributes flowed with deep personal emotion.
Former Minister of State, FCT, Dr. Rabi’atu Aliyu, called him “a father who embodied tolerance and meritocracy.”
Ex-Humanitarian Affairs Minister, Sadiya Farouq, said, “We have lost a pillar for the poor.”
Former Women Affairs Minister, Pauline Tallen, described him as “humble, selfless, and non-materialistic.”
Rotimi Amaechi, Buhari’s former transport minister, said, “This is a personal loss. He was principled to a fault.”
And Dr. Aliyu Audu, Tinubu’s ex-aide, described Buhari as “a bright Nigerian star who lived modestly.”
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