A very sad news for the people of Nigeria On July 13, 2025, Sunday Evening news broke that the former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari had passed away in London. He was 82 years old. The announcement shook the nation and the entire world ,not just because of who he was, but because of what he silently endured in the final years of his life.
Behind the scenes, Buhari had been fighting a difficult and exhausting illness battle , private struggle with leukemia, a form of blood cancer that affects the body’s ability to produce healthy blood cells.
For years, rumours swirled about his health. Nigerians had grown used to seeing headlines about Buhari flying to the UK for “medical care,” but few knew the full picture. As a man known for his strict military background and disciplined image, Buhari rarely spoke about his personal health. But quietly, his body was breaking down hmmm.
The Illness That Took Him and break Him Down
Leukemia is an aggressive disease, especially in older adults. It slowly attacks the immune system, weakens the body’s defenses, and makes even minor infections dangerous. Fatigue becomes chronic. Pain becomes constant. And strength slowly fades.
According to close sources, Buhari had been managing this condition for several years, but his health took a sharp downturn in early 2025. His final weeks were spent in a London hospital, surrounded by medical professionals and a few trusted aides. His family remained private, choosing dignity over drama.
It’s painful to imagine a man who once ruled Africa’s largest democracy, who led soldiers into battle and stood before the world stage, quietly withering in a hospital room.
A Man of Duty, A Man of Silence to serve His Nation with Good Heart
Born in 1942, Muhammadu Buhari lived most of his life in service to his country first as a soldier, then as a military head of state in the 1980s, and later as a two-term elected president from 2015 to 2023.
He was tough. Often criticised for being too strict, too distant, or too slow to act ,but no one could deny his reputation for order, discipline, and zero tolerance for corruption.
Even after stepping down from office, Buhari remained a quiet figure rarely seen, rarely heard, and never one to complain. That same silence extended to his health. He never went public with his diagnosis. Not once did he ask for sympathy. That was who he was stoic to the end.
The reaction across Nigeria has been a mix of shock, sadness, and reflection. Tributes have poured in from across political lines, with both supporters and critics acknowledging his role in shaping modern Nigeria.
Some remember him as a symbol of anti-corruption, a man who tried to restore moral order to government. Others remember the pain of economic hardship and unanswered insecurity. But in his final chapter, Buhari reminds us of something deeper: even the strongest fall. Even presidents suffer. And even leaders die in silence.
Muhammadu Buhari may have left office years ago, but his final act was perhaps his most human: he fought a battle not with politics, but with pain. He lost that battle, but not without courage.
As the country mourns, we remember more than a president we remember the man, the soldier, the father, the quiet fighter who kept going, even when his body told him to stop.
May his soul rest in peace.
