Major General Paul Tarfa (Rtd) has paid tribute to former President Muhammadu Buhari, recalling how he invited him and other Muslim cadets for Christmas and they came.
He described him as a resolute, honest, and principled individual who remained committed to his values throughout life and served Nigeria with dignity and integrity.
Ex-President Buhari died yesterday (Sunday) afternoon at a clinic in London, United Kingdom, where he had been receiving medical attention.
His death was confirmed in a statement issued by his former spokesman, Garba Shehu, on behalf of the family.
Major General Tarfa, who was a classmate of the late former president, recalled their first meeting on 16 April 1962 as cadets in Kaduna.
“We met on April 16, 1962 as cadets in Kaduna,” he said.
According to the retired general, they were part of Course 5 at the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC), now known as the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), comprising 36 cadets
Describing Buhari’s character as a young man, he emphasised that he was a fine gentleman, quiet and deeply committed to his beliefs.
“A fine gentleman, quiet, not given to talking, a very devout worker and good cadet, so resolute and very committed to his principles; a devout Muslim, a very serious person who chose his words carefully. You may say he was an introvert, and everything he said, as far as I knew, he meant it. A very honest person and a man who kept his principles. He did not amass wealth like most people, but he lived a very happy and successful life,” he said.
Major General Tarfa also recalled hosting the former president, who was then the Military Governor of the North-Eastern State, and Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua during Christmas in 1975, when both men honoured his invitation to his hometown of Garkida, now in Adamawa State.
I’m a Christian, they’re Muslims. I invited them for Christmas, and they honoured it,” he said.