The remains of former President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday morning departed London, the United Kingdom, for Daura, Katsina State, ahead of a state burial.
The Nigerian Air Force is transporting the body of the late president.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is currently leading a high-level Federal Government delegation to finalize the necessary documentation and logistical arrangements for the repatriation of the ex-president’s remains.
Persecondnews reported that the Federal Government on Monday announced that President Bola Tinubu will receive the former president’s remains in Katsina for his final interment in Daura.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Mohammed Idris, had told a media briefing on Monday that the body of the former president, who died on Sunday in a London hospital, is expected to arrive in Nigeria by noon on Tuesday.
He said: “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, will personally receive the remains of the former President in Katsina. Upon arrival in Katsina, a brief military ceremony will be held at the airport before the body is moved to Daura.
“The Jana’iza (funeral prayer) will take place thereafter, followed by interment at the late President’s residence.”
The minister said as part of national mourning, Tinubu has directed that condolence registers be opened across all Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as at Nigerian embassies and missions abroad.
He said another register will also be opened at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja, while noting that world leaders have continued to send in condolence messages.
“The condolences coming in from Heads of State and Governments across the globe are a testament to the global stature and legacy of President Muhammadu Buhari,” he said.
To ensure what he described as a “dignified and well-coordinated programme,” Idris said the President has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume.
The committee will work in collaboration with the Katsina State Government and the Buhari family.
The minister further announced that 25 members of the Federal Executive Council have been directed to proceed to Katsina for the burial rites and to remain in Daura for the Third-Day prayers scheduled for Wednesday.
Persecondnews had reported that Buhari died on Sunday, July 13 at a London hospital at the age of 82 during a prolonged illness.
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