By Hans Ngala
Nigeria’s former president, Muhammadu Buhari has died today in London. He was 82. Buhari’s death was announced by the family’s spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu. Shehu added that Buhari passed on in the early hours of Sunday 13, July. Buhari had been undergoing treatment at a hospital in London, England.
Buhari served Nigeria as a civilian president from 2015 to 2023, having previously served as a military leader between 1983 and 1985.
Muhammadu Buhari was born on December 17, 1942, in Daura, Katsina State of Nigeria. He came from a large Fulani family and was the 23rd child of his father, a Muslim polygamist. Buhari lost his father at the tender age of four, an event that would shape his early years. His mother, Zulaihat, found support from Waziri Alhassan, a son of the Emir of Daura, who took responsibility for raising her six children.
Named after an ancient Islamic scholar, Muhammad al-Bukhari, Buhari’s formative years were rooted in Islamic tradition. He attended Qur’anic school and helped in herding cattle, developing the stoic nature he would later be known for.
Buhari began his formal education in Daura and Mai’Adua, completing primary school in 1953. He then proceeded to Katsina Middle School, which later became the Provincial Secondary School. A natural leader, he served as both house captain and head boy. In 1960, he was selected for a scholarship by Elder Dempster Lines to visit the UK—a rare opportunity for a young Nigerian at the time.
Though initially interested in becoming a medical doctor, Buhari was steered toward the military by Mamman Daura, his uncle who recognized the opportunities the army offered. The allure of discipline, structure, and patriotism also played a role in making Buhari choose to join the military.
Military Life and Rise to Power
In 1962, at just 19 years old, Buhari was among 70 young men recruited into the Nigerian Military Training College. He later trained at the prestigious Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot, UK. By January 1963, at the age of 20, he had become a Second Lieutenant and took command of the Second Infantry Battalion in Abeokuta.
Between 1963 and 1967, Buhari underwent several advanced military courses in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom, including the Platoon Commanders’ Course and training at the Army Mechanical Transport School in Borden.
When Nigeria was plunged into political turmoil following the 1966 coup, Buhari was part of the northern-led counter-coup that overthrew General Aguiyi Ironsi. This involvement would define the next decade of his military career, which saw him serve in the Nigerian Civil War and later as Military Governor and Federal Commissioner.
Tragedy and Personal Life
While Buhari’s professional trajectory soared, his personal life was punctuated by immense losses and family challenges.
In 1971, Buhari married Safinatu Yusuf, and the couple had five children: Zulaihat (named after his mother), Fatima, Musa, Hadiza, and Safinatu. However, their son, Musa, passed away early in life, a loss that deeply affected the family.
The marriage ended in divorce in 1988 during Buhari’s period of political isolation following his overthrow as military head of state. A year later, he married Aisha Halilu, with whom he had another five children: Aisha, Halima, Yusuf, Zahra, and Amina.
In 2006, his first wife Safinatu died from complications related to diabetes. Tragedy struck again in November 2012 when his daughter Zulaihat died from sickle cell anaemia shortly after putting to birth. The grief was immense, and although Buhari rarely discussed his emotions in public, those close to him spoke of his deep sadness.
The loss of his mother, Zulaihat, in December 1988 while he was still under detention by the Babangida regime, was just the first of many tragedies he would live through. He was eventually released that same month and retired to Daura his hometown, where he focused on family and giving back to his community.
Civilian Leadership and the End SARS Protest
Buhari returned to national prominence in 1995 when he was appointed by General Sani Abacha to head the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF). Despite criticisms of military governance, Buhari was praised for the PTF’s transparency and results—a rare feat under Abacha’s rule.
In 2015, after several failed presidential bids, Buhari was elected as Nigeria’s president, ending 16 years of rule by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). His administration focused on anti-corruption, infrastructure, and security. However, his tenure was not without criticism.
One of the most defining moments of Buhari’s presidency came in October 2020, during the #EndSARS protests. What began as a social media outcry against the brutality of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) quickly became one of the largest youth-led movements in Nigeria’s history.
Despite disbanding SARS and pledging reforms, Buhari’s government was accused of heavy-handedness and failing to enact meaningful change. The government’s introduction of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit was met with skepticism. Violent crackdowns followed, including incidents where unarmed protesters were reportedly shot—most notably at the Lekki Toll Gate, a moment that drew international condemnation.
By June 2021, Buhari ordered a nationwide security deployment to quell further protests, defending the move as necessary to maintain public order. Critics, however, saw it as a stifling of dissent and democratic freedoms.
Final Days and Death in London
After leaving office in 2023, Buhari retreated from public life. His health, which had been a subject of national concern during his presidency, began to deteriorate. Known for traveling abroad for medical care, he spent increasing amounts of time in London, where he eventually passed away in the early hours of Sunday, July 13, 2025.
According to his family’s spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, Buhari died quietly while undergoing treatment. Tributes have since poured in from across the continent and beyond, recognizing him as a disciplined leader who shaped Nigeria through both force and reform.
