Kashim Shettima, Nigeria’s Vice President, could not hold back tears after he paid a condolence visit to the family of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari in London.
Shettima arrived in the United Kingdom on the directive of President Bola Tinubu and met with the late president’s nephew, Malam Mamman Daura, who is currently receiving medical treatment in a London hospital.
The visit came amid preparations for the final journey of the former Nigerian leader, who died in a London clinic after a brief illness at the age of 82. Buhari had retired to his hometown of Daura in Katsina State after handing over power in May 2023.
Buhari’s body is now expected to land in Katsina by noon on Tuesday after it was originally scheduled to arrive in Nigeria on Monday. Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda confirmed that the burial will take place by 2 pm in Daura, following consultations with the family and other key figures.
Shettima, alongside senior government officials, is overseeing the necessary diplomatic procedures and documentation to facilitate the return of Buhari’s remains.
Among those accompanying the Vice President in London are the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar; and Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia.
