NIGERIA was thrown into mourning on Sunday, July 13, following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari at the age of 82.
The ICIR reported that the former President, who served as Nigeria’s military Head of State from December 1983 to August 1985 and as a two-term civilian president from May 2015 to May 2023, passed on in London, where he had been since April for what was described as a routine medical check-up.
Though the nature of his illness has yet to be made public, the development rekindled his history of extended medical trips abroad from May 2015 to May 2023 during his time as elected president.
The ICIR reports that Buhari’s regular medical trips to London was a trend that drew public criticism and sparked debates about the quality of healthcare in Nigeria.
In February 2016, Buhari embarked on a six-day vacation to the United Kingdom. A few months later, in June, he returned to England for a 10-day medical trip to treat an ear infection. He later extended his stay by three days to recuperate.
Nigerians began questioning the appropriateness of the late president’s medical trips abroad, especially in light of the country’s struggling healthcare system and the recurrence of such trips.
Amid mounting criticism over the medical trips in 2016, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, published an opinion piece defending Buhari’s travels, insisting they were not for leisure.
In January 2017, Buhari returned to London for another medical vacation. The following month, he wrote to the National Assembly requesting an extension of his medical leave.
He returned to Abuja on March 10, 2017, after spending 50 days away.
In May 2017, the late leader again left for London on what became one of his longest medical vacations, spending 104 days before returning to Nigeria.
What followed was a wave of speculation and misinformation about his health, with some even claiming he had died and was replaced by a body double.
The President did not visit London later that year for another medical check-up until May 2018, when he spent four days for a “medical review.”
In late March 2021, he departed for London again for a “routine medical check-up” that lasted 15 days.
This time, the trip coincided with a healthcare crisis at home, as members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors began an indefinite strike over unpaid allowances.
In March 2022, Buhari flew to London for another 12-day medical trip.
The President’s final medical trip to London before leaving office took place in October 2022 and lasted for about two weeks. He returned to Nigeria on November 13, 2022.
He left office on May 29, 2023, and retired to his hometown, Daura in Katsina State.
While sources said his health improved after he left office, it deteriorated again in April 2025.
He was in London for medical attention from April till his passing on Sunday, July 13.
The late leader was buried at his residence in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, on Tuesday, July 15.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.