By Femi Anamelechi
Nigeria Custom Service (NCS) has lowered its national flag to half-mast across all its Commands, in respect for the passing of former President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), GCFR, who died in London on Sunday, 13 July 2025, at the age of 82.The Nigeria Custom Service joined Nigerians all over the country to mourn the passage of the former President. At Headquarters in Abuja, the flag was lowered at half-mast early Monday morning, 14 July 2025, as other formations of the Service across the federation reflected the solemnity of the national mood.The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR), in a condolence message issued on behalf of the officers and men of the Service, described Buhari as; “a disciplined leader and patriot who contributed immensely to national development, including key reforms in the Nigeria Customs Service.”“We pray for his peaceful repose and strength for his family and the nation to bear this great loss.” CGC Adeniyi added.The CGC directed all Area Commands and Units to comply strictly with the mourning directive and ensure Customs flags remain at half-mast throughout the week.
Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a statement by his media adviser, Bayo Onanuga, described Buhari as “an extraordinary leader, a disciplined soldier, and a patriot whose contributions to Nigeria’s unity and stability will never be forgotten.”The President also directed Vice President Kashim Shettima and Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila to lead a delegation to London for the repatriation of the former President’s body. Reports confirmed their arrival in London on Monday morning, where they were received by Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar and Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum amongst other top government officials.President Tinubu, alongside top government functionaries including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, later flew to Daura, Katsina State, where the former President was buried in accordance with Islamic rites.Buhari, who led Nigeria as a military ruler from 1983 to 1985, and later as a democratically elected President from 2015 to 2023, had been receiving medical attention in the United Kingdom before his passing.
