President Bola Tinubu will personally receive the remains of former President Muhammadu Buhari when they arrive in Katsina on Tuesday.
Gatekeepers News reports that Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, announced the arrangement during a press briefing in Abuja on Monday.
According to Idris, Buhari’s remains are expected to arrive by noon and will be received at the airport with a brief military ceremony.
The body will then be transported to Daura, Buhari’s hometown, for the funeral prayer and interment at the late president’s residence.
The federal government has approved a state burial for the late president and constituted an inter-ministerial committee to coordinate the events.
The committee is chaired by George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and includes several ministers.
“As we prepare to bid farewell to one of Nigeria’s foremost statesmen, the federal government urges all Nigerians to join in prayers and reflection for the repose of the soul of our former leader,” Idris said.
The government has also declared seven days of national mourning from Sunday, July 13, with the national flag flying half-mast across the country. Tuesday has been declared a public holiday in honour of Buhari.
Condolence registers have been opened at all federal ministries, departments, and agencies; the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja; and Nigerian embassies and missions abroad. Tinubu continues to receive condolence messages from world leaders, a testament to Buhari’s global legacy.
The special FEC meeting earlier scheduled for Tuesday, July 15, has been postponed to Friday, July 18.
