General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the former military head of state, has disclosed that he was admitted in the same London hospital as late President Muhammadu Buhari before he died on Sunday.
TheNewsGuru.com(TNG) reports that General Abubakar made this known during a recent interview with Channels Television, where he confirmed that he and the late Nigerian leader had been receiving treatment at the same clinic in the United Kingdom, but Buhari died shortly after he (Abubakar) was discharged.
He said, “Unfortunately, we were in the hospital together, but I have been discharged.
“When I heard the news of his passing away, I quickly went there to condole with the family and see what can be done in order to get the corpse ready to be taken home.”
Reflecting on his decades -long relationship with Buhari, the retired general said it began in 1962 when both joined the Nigerian military.
“We joined the military; he was my senior. During the unfortunate civil war, we were fighting in the same sector. Gen. Buhari is a gentleman who is very quiet but exceptionally honest. You can trust Buhari with anything on this earth and he will not betray you,” he said.
The former military leader hailed Buhari’s anti-corruption efforts, recalling his leadership during the military era when he initiated the War Against Indiscipline (WAI). He emphasised that as a democratically elected president, Buhari continued to show commitment to fighting corruption.
He continued saying, “When he became a democratic president, again he tried his best to make sure that he fights corruption. Unfortunately, some of the officers who served with him are found wanting. They didn’t do as much as is expected of them. May he rest in peace.”
He further described the death of Buhari as a “big blow to Nigeria,” noting that President Bola Tinubu had dispatched Vice President Kashim Shettima to London to accompany Buhari’s remains back to Nigeria.
“With the passing away of President Buhari, politics in Nigeria will certainly change, I hope for the better,” he said.