Former Nigerian President Muhammad Buhari dies in London

Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who led his country first as a junta strongman and then as an elected democrat, died Sunday at the age of 82, the presidency announced. Current President Bola Tinubu said in a statement that his predecessor died in London around 4:30 p.m. Sunday "following a long illness."

Buhari was born into a Muslim family in the northern Nigerian state of Katsina. He was the 13th child. His father belonged to the Fula people, his mother to the Kanuri people, who live near Lake Chad.

He ruled Nigeria with a firm hand as a military leader in the 1980s, before reinventing himself as a "converted democrat," serving two terms from 2015 to 2023. "He championed discipline in public service, tackled corruption head-on, and always put the country above personal interests," Tinubu said.

Critics say Buhari's tenure has failed to address long-standing problems such as corruption, poverty, and armed violence, and there have been allegations of human rights abuses by security forces.

Tinubu claimed he ordered Vice President Kashim Shettima to travel to England to accompany Buhari's body to Nigeria. He also ordered flags to be flown at half-mast. Buhari's frequent trips for medical treatment during his presidency sparked criticism over transparency and concerns about his leadership during some of his longest absences. Buhari spent nearly three months away from home receiving treatment in Britain. Although the nature of his illness was never made public, Buhari once confessed that he had "never been as ill" as he was during a trip and that he had received several blood transfusions.

Since Sunday, numerous leaders have sent messages of condolence, including South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio, World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Katsina Governor Dikko Radda declared Monday a day of mourning to allow residents of the state to gather in prayer. However, in Daura, Buhari's hometown, most shops remained open.