Former military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has revealed that he was in the same hospital in London with the late President Muhammadu Buhari shortly before his death.
While speaking during an interview with Channels Television, Abdulsalami shared that he had just been discharged from the hospital when he received the heartbreaking news of Buhari’s death.
“Unfortunately, we were in the same hospital together. But I have been discharged,” he said.
“So, when I heard the news of his passing away, I quickly went there to condole the family and see what could be done in order to get the corpse ready to be taken home.”
Abdulsalami reflected on their decades-long relationship, dating back to 1962 when they both joined the Nigerian military.
He described Buhari as “a gentleman who was very quiet and exceptionally honest”.
Abdulsalami praised Buhari’s trustworthiness, saying “You can trust Buhari with anything on this earth and he will not betray you.”
He commended Buhari’s anti-corruption stance, but acknowledged that some officials in his administration fell short of expectations.
Abdulsalami described Buhari’s death as a “big blow” to Nigeria and the sub-region, and praised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to send his vice and chief of staff to the UK to oversee the return of Buhari’s remains.
Abdulsalami hopes that politics in Nigeria will change for the better following Buhari’s passing.
