LONDON, England — Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is recuperating in the United Kingdom following a recent spell in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), according to sources close to the former leader.
Empowered Newswire reports that Buhari fell ill during a routine medical check-up in London and was subsequently admitted to the ICU.
While the nature of the illness has not been publicly disclosed, the 81-year-old former president was reportedly discharged from intensive care last week and is said to be in stable condition.
A close family member, speaking anonymously, confirmed that Buhari is still in London recovering and will return to Nigeria once he has fully regained his strength.
The development helps explain Buhari’s absence from high-profile public events, including the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which held in Lagos on Wednesday, May 28, 2025.
In a letter addressed to President Bola Tinubu, Buhari had cited a medical appointment in the UK as the reason for his non-attendance.
Separately, it has emerged that Mamman Daura, Buhari’s influential uncle and longtime confidant, is also undergoing recovery from an undisclosed illness in the UK.
The two men are said to be in contact, with family members and aides managing their affairs discreetly.
In early May, a photograph of Abdulrasheed Bawa, the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), visiting Buhari in London circulated online, further fuelling speculation about the former president’s health.
However, no official details about the purpose of Bawa’s visit were made public.
Since leaving office in May 2023, Buhari has largely stayed out of the public eye, splitting his time between his hometown of Daura in Katsina State and medical visits abroad.
