logo
Body of former Nigerian leader Buhari to be flown home for simple burial

Body of former Nigerian leader Buhari to be flown home for simple burial

Yahoo14-07-2025
The body of Nigeria's former President Muhammadu Buhari, who died aged 82 in a London clinic on Sunday is being flown home to be buried in his hometown in Katsina state.
Katsina state governor Dikko Radda, who is in the British capital with Buhari's family, said he would be buried later on Monday in Daura town, 50 miles (80km) from Katsina town.
Nigeria's Vice-President Kashim Shettima is also in London and will accompany Buhari's remains back to Nigeria.
"I just left his family at the hospital where he died and the decision is that his remains will be taken to Daura for burial, the plan is to leave in the morning," Radda told DW Hausa.
The vice-president also confirmed Daura to be Buhari's final resting place in a post on social media after arriving in London.
He said that Buhari had died after a brief illness without revealing any further details.
In line with Islamic teachings Buhari is expected to be buried as quickly as possible in a simple ceremony, Islamic cleric Abdullahi Garangamawa told the BBC.
"The only thing that should stop Buhari's corpse from being buried today [Monday] is if his body arrives [in] Daura in the night because Islam frowns at night burials. In that case, Tuesday morning will be fine," the cleric added.
Tributes have continued to pour in for the late army general who was one of only two people to have led Nigeria twice (both as military and civilian president) in its post-independence history.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, defeated by Buhari in the 2015 election, described the late leader as someone who "was selfless in his commitment to his duty and served the country with character and a deep sense of patriotism".
Former military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida, overthrown by Buhari in a 1985 coup, also showered praises on the octogenarian.
"He is a man who, even in retirement, remained a moral compass to many, and an example of modesty in public life,' Babangida noted.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is expected to attend the funeral prayer in Daura town, has declared a seven-day national mourning period in honour of his predecessor.
In an official condolence statement released on Sunday evening, Tinubu said the nation would pay its final respects to the former leader with dignity and honour, starting with the lowering of all national flags to half-mast across the country from Sunday.
Former Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari dies aged 82
Big shake-up in Nigerian politics as heavyweights join forces
Nigeria's major tax overhaul explained
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Focus on Africa
This Is Africa
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nigerian Immigration issues advisory to citizens travelling to the US
Nigerian Immigration issues advisory to citizens travelling to the US

Business Insider

time15 hours ago

  • Business Insider

Nigerian Immigration issues advisory to citizens travelling to the US

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has issued a formal advisory urging citizens to strictly follow the conditions of their U.S. visas, following concerns by the U.S. government over widespread misuse. The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) advised citizens to adhere to U.S. visa conditions to avoid penalties Students studying in the U.S. must maintain full-time academic status to prevent visa cancellation. This advisory aligns Nigeria alongside other African nations in promoting global mobility compliance standards. In a statement, NIS spokesperson ACI Akinlabi said, 'The NIS wishes to inform the general public about the concerns raised by the US government over the misuse of visas by Nigerians.' He warned that violations—such as overstaying or unauthorized activities —could lead to visa revocation, deportation, or permanent travel bans. 'Breach of visa conditions, including overstaying, may attract severe penalties, including removal from the U.S. and permanent ineligibility for future travel,' he said. Akinlabi also advised Nigerian students in the U.S. to maintain full-time academic status: 'Nigerian students in the U.S. must remain in active study. Withdrawal, absenteeism, or change of academic program without notification may lead to visa cancellation and loss of future eligibility.' He further noted that consular officers can deny tourist visas if they suspect the applicant intends to give birth in the U.S.: 'The NIS continues to collaborate with the U.S. Mission in Abuja to ensure Nigeria is not included in any expanded visa restrictions. Compliance with visa regulations is essential to safeguard legitimate travel by Nigerian citizens.' U.S-Nigeria travel advisory As of mid-July 2025, the United States maintains a Level 3 travel advisory for Nigeria, urging citizens to reconsider travel due to persistent threats from crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed gangs, and inadequate healthcare services. In addition to security concerns, the U.S. government has also issued fresh visa-related warnings to Nigerian applicants. On July 8, 2025, the U.S. Department of State revised its visa reciprocity policy, reducing the validity of most non-immigrant, non-diplomatic visas for Nigerian citizens to three months, single entry. Previously issued visas remain valid under their original terms. Furthermore, in a July 28, 2025 memo, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria warned that travel primarily for childbirth purposes, commonly referred to as birth tourism, is prohibited. Visa applications suspected of being linked to this practice may be denied, with applicants subject to heightened scrutiny and possible penalties for misrepresentation. Together, these measures reflect a broader tightening of U.S. immigration controls targeting both security and immigration integrity concerns. Nigeria's issuance of this advisory brings it in line with 36 other African countries facing potential travel restrictions. Authorities and U.S. missions in these countries have warned against visa fraud, overstays, and misuse of travel privileges.

I no longer identify as Nigerian, Badenoch says
I no longer identify as Nigerian, Badenoch says

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

I no longer identify as Nigerian, Badenoch says

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said she no longer identifies as Nigerian and has not renewed her passport since the early 2000s. Badenoch, who was born in the UK, grew up in both Nigeria and the US. She returned to England aged 16 because of Nigeria's worsening political and economic climate, and to continue her education. Speaking on former MP and television presenter Gyles Brandreth's Rosebud podcast, she said she was "Nigerian through ancestry" though "by identity, I'm not really". Last year, Badenoch faced criticism from Nigeria's vice president who said she had "denigrated" the West African country. Badenoch, who lived in Lagos, spoke at length about her upbringing on the podcast. "I know the country very well, I have a lot of family there, and I'm very interested in what happens there. But home is where my now family is." On not renewing her passport, she said: "I don't identify with it any more, most of my life has been in the UK and I've just never felt the need to." "I'm Nigerian through ancestry, by birth, despite not being born there because of my parents... but by identity I'm not really," she added. Badenoch said when she visited the country when her father died she had to get a visa, which was "a big fandango". She said her early experiences in Nigeria shaped her political outlook, including "why I don't like socialism". As a child "I remember never quite feeling that I belonged there", she went on, saying she recalled "coming back to the UK in 1996 thinking this is home". At the end of last year, Badenoch was criticised for saying she had grown up in fear and insecurity in Nigeria, which was plagued by corruption. The country's vice president Kashim Shettima responded, saying his government was "proud" of Badenoch "in spite of her efforts at denigrating her nation of origin". A spokesperson for Badenoch rebuffed the criticism. Badenoch stands by Nigeria comments after criticism

Trump's tariffs are sending African countries into China's hands
Trump's tariffs are sending African countries into China's hands

CNN

timea day ago

  • CNN

Trump's tariffs are sending African countries into China's hands

Africa is adjusting to the new reality of US President Donald Trump's tariffs, with countries on the continent facing some of the highest export charges. But what could become a crisis is an opportunity for United States rival China, which has long courted African countries and is now offering them a lifeline. 'We (Africa) are going straight into the hands of China,' Nigerian economist Bismarck Rewane told CNN. 'That is the unfortunate outcome,' Rewane said of Africa's expected further shift toward China, which has emerged in recent years as the continent's largest bilateral trading partner. Four African nations - Libya, South Africa, Algeria and Tunisia - face some of the steepest tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, with charges on exports ranging from 25% to 30%. Eighteen other countries from the continent were hit with 15% levies, a modified tariff package released Thursday by the White House showed. In April, when the US import levies were first announced, Trump pitched them as 'reciprocal' and targeting countries that he said had trade deficits with the US. But Trump instead based his tariffs on countries' trade deficits with the United States – not the tariffs they charge. South Africa, one of the continent's powerhouses, challenged the imposition of a 30% tariff on its US-bound exports, saying Trump's decision was not based on 'an accurate representation of available trade data.' China has offered to soften the impact of US tariffs on Africa, saying in June it would halt charges on imports for nearly all its African partners. 'There is no other opportunity for African countries to strengthen South-South trade (among developing nations) than now,' South African researcher Neo Letswalo told CNN, while urging countries to 'solely turn to China and make it the next US.' 'America is gradually forfeiting its global leadership status,' Letswalo said, adding that the more countries 'become less dependent on the US, the greater opportunity for China to become an alternative.' Before the tariff deadline, the US did not make a trade deal with any African nation despite efforts from the continent to avoid the tariffs, underscoring Africa's place on the White House's priority list. Letswalo described America's failure to negotiate a deal with Africa as 'an open goal for China.' The impact of Trump's tariffs is already being felt in some of Africa's most buoyant economies and some of the continent's poorest, such as Lesotho, which was slapped with a 15% tariff. It had previously been hit with a 50% tariff – one of the steepest rates – before the charges were modified. Lesotho's Prime Minister Samuel Matekane said in June that the huge tariff, combined with the halt of US aid to the nation of just over 2 million people, 'have crippled industries that previously sustained thousands of jobs.' Trump has described Lesotho, a landlocked nation surrounded by South Africa, as a country 'nobody has ever heard of' – even though trade between the US and Lesotho totaled over $240 million last year, mostly in textiles. Before the tariffs, Lesotho benefited from a US trade agreement that allowed it and other eligible sub-Saharan countries to export goods to the US duty-free. Authorities in Lesotho have declared a two-year national state of disaster over the tariffs, as the country braces for their impact, with the textile industry already grappling with massive job losses. Thousands of roles are also threatened in Lesotho's richer neighbor, South Africa, where citrus growers said they were gripped with 'great anxiety' ahead of the August 1 tariff deadline. In a statement this week, the country's Citrus Growers' Association (CGA) warned that 'job losses will be a certainty' if the tariffs came into effect. It added that, 'hundreds of thousands of cartons of citrus are ready in packhouses to be shipped to the US over the next few weeks,' and that implementing the charges 'will mean most of this fruit will be left unsold.' Other industries in South Africa, such as the automobile sector, also face the risk of economic shocks, analysts said. 'Already, we have companies within the automobile sector threatening to leave (the country) as a result of plummeting business,' Letswalo said. 'The tariffs will add to the burden of pre-existing issues, and if these entities decide to exit South Africa, our already existing unemployment calamities will worsen,' he said. Gwede Mantashe, South Africa's minister of mineral and petroleum resources, told reporters Tuesday that other routes are being sought for South African goods. 'If the US imposes high tariffs, we must look for alternative markets,' he said. 'Our biggest trading partner is China, not the US. The US is number two,' Mantashe added. As South Africa scouts for broader opportunities, however, the citrus growers' group has voiced its reservations, specifically that their products suit designated markets so finding another is not straightforward. Its CEO, Boitshoko Ntshabele, told CNN in a statement that 'the US market remains a priority, and so should improving access to China' and elsewhere. 'There is a deep appreciation of South African citrus by US consumers. Since 2017, our exports to that market have almost doubled. The market has immense potential,' Ntshabele added. Letswalo believes there are accompanying risks behind the enticing option of relying on Beijing to cushion the impact of Trump's tariffs. Alternating US with China 'could be risky,' he said, 'especially for some nascent industries within the (African) countries.' 'If they're not protected, Chinese products will flood and outcompete them as many African countries are price sensitive markets,' he warned. China has imposed some imbalanced trade deals of its own in Africa with trade deficits skewed in its favor, according to the China-Global South Project (CGSP), an organization monitoring China's engagement with developing countries. Additionally, the bulk of Beijing's exports to Africa comprise mainly manufactured products, while the continent's exports to China are commonly raw materials. South Africa's Ramaphosa advocated for balanced trade with China when he met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing last year. Letswalo advised that, while Africa leans on China for trade, it must also seek domestic alternatives. He recommended a swift implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), an agreement signed by nations on the continent to boost trade among themselves. Although established in 2020, implementing AfCFTA has been slow, with just over 20 countries of the continent's 55 trading under the deal. Rewane believes that the US tariffs could inspire Africa 'to build economic resilience and be less dependent on lopsided trade.' Above all, he added, the continent must be 'more inward-looking rather than outward-dependent.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store