The body of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari departed London on Tuesday morning aboard a Nigerian Air Force aircraft, en route to Katsina for interment in his hometown of Daura.

The Nigerian Air Force flew the body of the former military ruler and two-term democratically elected leader out of the United Kingdom earlier today.

The former president, who passed away in London after a prolonged illness, is expected to receive full state honours upon arrival in Nigeria.

Vice President Kashim Shettima led a federal delegation to London to coordinate the final documentation and logistical arrangements for the repatriation of Buhari’s remains, following his death on Sunday in a London hospital.

The Nigerian government had earlier announced that President Bola Tinubu would receive the former president’s body upon arrival at the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Airport in Katsina. A brief military ceremony is expected at the airport before the body is transported to Daura for funeral prayers and burial.

Information and National Orientation Minister, Mohammed Idris, confirmed the details during a press briefing on Monday in Abuja.

He said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, will personally receive the remains of the former President in Katsina. Upon arrival, 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.”

Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State, who was with the Buhari family in London, told BBC Hausa that the late leader would be buried in the compound of his private residence in Daura. The town has since seen a growing influx of mourners and well-wishers awaiting the arrival of the body.

The federal government has declared Tuesday, July 15, a public holiday in Buhari’s honour. A seven-day period of national mourning is in effect, during which all flags are to fly at half-mast across the country and at Nigerian missions abroad.

Minister Idris also announced that condolence registers have been opened in all federal ministries, agencies, Nigerian embassies, and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja.

He added that an inter-ministerial committee, chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, is working in coordination with the Katsina State Government and the Buhari family to ensure the funeral is conducted in an orderly and dignified manner.

Twenty-five members of the Federal Executive Council have been directed to attend the burial rites and remain in Daura through the third-day prayers scheduled for Wednesday, July 16.

Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2015 to 2023 and was previously Head of State from 1983 to 1985, died at age 82 after a brief illness. His death has prompted tributes from leaders across the country and abroad, including former President Goodluck Jonathan and former military leader General Ibrahim Babangida.

President Tinubu, in a condolence message issued Sunday, said the nation would honour Buhari’s legacy “with dignity and respect.”