DAURA, Nigeria – Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will be laid to rest on Tuesday in the courtyard of his residence in Daura, his hometown in the northern state of Katsina, Governor Dikko Radda confirmed in a statement to BBC Hausa.

Buhari, who served as president from 2015 to 2023, passed away on Sunday at the age of 82 in a London clinic. Governor Radda was in the UK with the late president’s family at the time of his death.

On Tuesday morning, Buhari’s body departed London aboard one of Nigeria’s presidential aircraft. According to the governor’s official schedule, the remains will first arrive in Katsina, the state capital, before being transferred to Daura — located approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) away — for burial.

The former leader, a retired major general and former military head of state in the 1980s, was a towering figure in Nigerian politics, known for his anti-corruption stance and populist appeal. His death marks the end of an era for one of Nigeria’s most polarizing yet influential statesmen.

Further ceremonies and tributes are expected to take place in both Katsina and Abuja in the coming days.