Buhari's far-north hometown prepares to bury late Nigerian leader

Funeral preparations were underway on Monday in the hometown of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, as his hometown of Daura readied to bury the one-time military leader and twice-elected democrat.

Children were turned away from schools as government institutions closed for a public holiday and period of mourning, while many private businesses stayed open, unable to afford shutting shop, an AFP reporter observed.

Buhari, 82, died in London on Sunday "following a prolonged illness", President Bola Tinubu said.

Vice President Kashim Shettima arrived in London on Monday to accompany Buhari's body home, Nigerian media reported.

Body scheduled to arrive on Tuesday

An aide to the governor of Katsina state, where Daura is located, said Buhari's body was scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, with a burial scheduled the same day in accordance with Islamic custom.

Buhari governed Nigeria as a military head of state in the 1980s before reinventing himself as a self-described "converted democrat", serving two terms from 2015 to 2023.

He was born under British colonial rule in Daura in 1942.

Katsina Governor Dikko Umaru Radda described him as "the embodiment of the common man's aspirations."

Heavy police presence

As business continued in Daura on Monday, the increased presence of police officers and soldiers around Buhari's home and at intersections broke the usual serenity of the small town, which lies less than 20 kilometres from the border with Niger.

"Buhari was an upright man who did his best for Nigeria, but he was human and prone to shortcomings," said Nasiru Abdullahi, a 35-year-old tyre mechanic, his voice rising over the machines in his shop.

Residents pointed to Buhari's legacy in his government's establishment in Daura of a polytechnic school, a university and increased electricity access, while the founding of two military bases improved security.

"Buhari was good to Daura. He did a lot for us and we thank him for all he has done for us," said 46-year-old butcher's shop owner Aminu Lawan, who was cutting a slab of beef on a wooden table outside his shop while preparing roasted kebabs.

Nigeria's first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent president

"Everyone is mourning, but businesses are open because people have to survive," the butcher's shop owner said.

Buhari made history in 2015 as the first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent leader at the ballot box, a moment that was seen as a rare opportunity for Nigeria to change course.