- Unconfirmed Reports Finger Complications From Leukaemia
Barring any last-minute changes, the body of former President Muhammadu Buhari would arrive in Nigeria today, en route to his native Daura for internment. But as the former president goes home, questions surrounding the exact cause of his death remain unanswered.
Despite confirmation of his passing in a London hospital, aides and close associates have yet to offer any formal statement explaining the circumstances of his death, extending a legacy of secrecy that marked his medical affairs throughout his presidency.
Buhari, 82, reportedly breathed his last on Sunday at the exclusive London Clinic in Marylebone, United Kingdom—a facility he was intimately familiar with, having spent a cumulative 230 days there during his eight years in office. The private hospital, located at 22 Devonshire Place, is renowned for treating world leaders, royals, and celebrities. According to some online news reports, the former president died of leukemia. No one knows if this is true or not, because nothing has been officially confirmed by his family or aides.
The London Clinic, founded in 1932, has a reputation as one of Britain’s leading private hospitals. Past patients include UK royals like the late Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Margaret, as well as world leaders such as former UK prime ministers Clement Attlee and Sir Anthony Eden. Augusto Pinochet, the former Chilean dictator, was also receiving treatment there when he was arrested in 1998. More recently, Princess of Wales Kate Middleton underwent surgery there, triggering a major privacy scandal after staff allegedly accessed her medical records without authorisation.
Many Nigerians had criticized Buhari’s preference for the foreign facility as a self-indictment, reflecting both his mistrust of Nigeria’s comparatively shambolic healthcare system and a long-standing aversion to disclosing personal medical details. Throughout his presidency, his health was treated as a national secret. Aides consistently referred to his trips as “routine medical check-ups” without specifying ailments or the identity of his healthcare providers. The trend continued after he left office, with former spokesman Garba Shehu stating as recently as Friday that Buhari had been discharged from a London hospital amid growing speculation about his health.
In what appeared to be the same pattern of hiding the right information from Nigerians, Shehu had told Channels, “Buhari has been discharged. It was not as intense as reported. He was hospitalized, and now he is being cared for. He is in a recovery mode.
“Each day, he gets better, but until it’s all over, you can’t say it is over.”
“He looked much better after leaving the office than before he became president. He is 82, he eats healthy, and exercises regularly.”
A mere 48 hours later, Buhari was dead.
There are those that may excuse Shehu for his overly optimistic reading of Buhari’s circumstances because despite persistent health challenges, the former president remained remarkably active after his departure from Aso Rock in 2023. Rather than retreat into political obscurity, he turned his Daura residence into a hub of activity, receiving high-profile delegations during Muslim holidays and political milestones. During the last two Sallah celebrations, Daura took on the feel of a political Mecca, with presidential hopefuls, governors, and party stalwarts lining up for photo-ops and consultations with the former leader.
During the last Sallah, for example, Buhari received a stream of political visitors for Eid-el-Kabir, including former rivals, loyalists, and serving government officials. Many interpreted the steady stream of visits as a sign that Buhari’s political influence, especially within the northern power bloc of the APC, remained significant even in retirement.
Observers note the contrast between his visible political engagements and the secrecy surrounding his health as a paradox that defined Buhari’s later years. Even at the height of public speculation in 2017, when he was absent from the country for 104 straight days, no official diagnosis was released. Upon his return, however, Buhari offered a rare and telling glimpse into his ordeal. “I couldn’t recall being so sick since I was a young man, including the military with its ups and downs,” he said. “Blood transfusions, going to the laboratories, and so on and so forth… I had as much rest as could be humanly possible. I received the best of treatment.”
His reference to blood transfusions at the time, while downplayed by official channels, may in retrospect lend credence to online accounts that he died of leukemia, a form of cancer that often requires repeated transfusions and advanced haematological care. Still, without official confirmation, this link remains speculative.
In the same address, Buhari used his experience to advise Nigerians against self-medication. “I think one of the terrible things you can have is self-drug administration,” he said. “Trust your doctors instead. Don’t try to treat yourself.”
Despite such moments of candour, the nature of his illness remained carefully guarded. The eventual report pointing to leukemia has yet to be either confirmed or denied by his family, reinforcing a culture of secrecy that many argue does a disservice to public trust.
As Buhari’s body returns to the sun-scorched plains of Katsina for burial, his supporters are left with both grief and lingering questions. For some, he was a symbol of discipline and order; for others, a figure whose governance fell short of its promise. “Yet in both life and death, Muhammadu Buhari remained an enigma. And I think that perhaps that is how he intended it,” said a former senior aide to the ex-president.