Mamman Daura, nephew of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed that the former Nigerian leader was cheerful and full of life hours before his passing in a London hospital on Sunday.
In an interview with ThisDay Newspaper, Daura recounted spending the evening of Saturday, July 13, with Buhari at the London clinic where he had been receiving treatment. According to him, the former president was talkative, optimistic, and even made plans to return to Nigeria later in the week.
“We were together on Saturday, talking and laughing, and Buhari was in high spirits in the London clinic where he was admitted,” Daura said.
He disclosed that Buhari had also taken care of logistical matters for his eventual return, showing concern for those who had travelled to London to support him.
“He even had the plan to depart for Nigeria upon his discharge this week and made sure that arrangements were made to sort out the hotel bills of everybody who was in London on his behalf before departing.”
Daura said he left Buhari’s bedside around 9:00pm on Saturday with a promise to visit again the following afternoon.
“I left him around 9 p.m. on Saturday in high spirits and promised to see him on Sunday afternoon. He was looking forward to his doctor’s visit on Sunday morning.”
However, the situation changed drastically by midday on Sunday.
“Around midday, he started having breathing challenges, and doctors rushed to his side to try and manage it. But unfortunately, around 4:30p.m., he gave up the ghost,” Daura recounted with emotion.
LEADERSHIP reports that the former president’s body departed the United Kingdom for Nigeria earlier on Tuesday morning. President Bola Tinubu is expected to receive the remains upon arrival at Ummaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport in Katsina, before Buhari is laid to rest in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, later this Tuesday.
Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s Head of State from 1983 to 1985 and as a democratically elected President from 2015 to 2023, died at the age of 82.
