President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has confirmed the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari and dispatched Vice President Kashim Shettima to the United Kingdom to accompany his predecessor’s corpse back to Nigeria.

This was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, Tinubu said Buhari died at about 4:30 p.m. in London following a prolonged illness.

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President Bola Ahmed said he has spoken with Buhari’s widow, Mrs. Aishat Buhari, to offer his condolences.

He also directed that national flags be flown at half-mast in honour of the former president.

Buhari, who first led Nigeria from January 1984 to August 1985 as a military head of state, returned to power through the ballot box in 2015 and completed his second term in 2023.

Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced in the coming days.