Is it True That Buhari Died in 2017 and Not 2025? Fact Emerges
- Rumours that late Muhammadu Buhari had been replaced with a body double called "Jubril" from Sudan had been widely shared online
- The 82-year-old former military and democratic leader had been beset by ill health around 2017
- The claim that Buhari had died during a prolonged medical trip to London in 2017 resurfaced after his family announced his death on Sunday, July 13, 2025
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs and governance.
Daura, Katsina state - Former President Muhammadu Buhari died in a London hospital on Sunday, July 13, 2025, and was given a state burial at his hometown of Daura, Katsina state, two days later.
Legit.ng reports that Buhari served two terms as president of Nigeria. The first period was from 2015 to 2019, and the second was from 2019 to 2023. This is excluding his time as military head of state in the 80s.
Source: Twitter
The conspiracy about Buhari's death gained traction in 2017 during one of his longest absences from public view. In January of that year, Buhari left Nigeria for medical treatment in the United Kingdom (UK), handing over power temporarily to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
He remained in London for over 100 days, causing anxiety in Nigeria, with people speculating about his health. Some critics even said Elizabeth II, the now-late former Queen of the UK, sent a condolence letter to mark Buhari's passing.
While his aides insisted he was alive and recuperating, the length of his stay and the government’s tight control over updates stirred suspicion.
In March 2017, Buhari opened up on his health condition after returning to Nigeria, saying he had never been so sick in his life.
He revealed that he underwent a lot of tests and even had a blood transfusion.
Source: Twitter
When Buhari's death was announced by his family and ally Garba Shehu on Sunday afternoon, July 13, 2025, multiple social media posts claimed that the Nigerian government’s announcement of the elder statesman's demise was false information, insisting he died in 2017.
One post by a pro-Biafra Facebook page reads:
“The Nigerian government can only deceive Nigerians; they can't deceive Biafrans. Buhari died since 2017, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB have stated it. This is Mazi Nnamdi Kanu Video demonstration in 2017/2018, stated that the man they imposed on Nigeria as a president is an impostor. Nigeria is scam.”
The same claim appears here and here.
Fake news about Buhari's death
Due to the resurgence of this assertion, a fact-checking platform, Africa Check, looked at the claim again.
In its report published on Wednesday, July 30, the media organisation stressed that there is no new evidence for the debunked claim. It ruled that the claim that Buhari died and was buried in 2017 is false.
Read more on Muhammadu Buhari:
- List of 5 public structures named after Buhari in Borno
- Buhari’s family relocates from Daura 12 days after burial of former president
Expert suggests youth training to curb fake news
Jennifer Stephen, a certified fact-checker trained by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, has called for practical collaboration between the government and civil society to combat the spread of conspiracy theories and misinformation, such as the false claim that former President Muhammadu Buhari died in 2017 and was replaced by a body double.
Speaking with Legit.ng, Stephen emphasised the need for structured capacity-building efforts to equip young Nigerians with fact-checking skills:
“One practical way for the government and civil organisations to collaborate and advocate against the spread of fake news will be to organise fact-checking training for Nigerian youth to learn the tools used to counter fake news and become agents of change.”
Video shows Aisha Buhari weeping
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that former first lady Aisha Buhari, Zahra Buhari Indimi, and other family members wept following Buhari's death.
Buhari's wife was captured in a video during the presidential condolence visit to Buhari's relatives in London.
Editorial assistant Ololade Olatimehin provided exclusive commentary from a certified fact checker for this report.
Source: Legit.ng
