Former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has revealed why her late husband, ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, rarely sacked underperforming aides, and later pleaded on behalf of some allies facing probes.

Her account appeared in a new 600-page biography titled ‘From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari’, authored by Dr. Charles Omole and unveiled at the State House, Abuja, on Monday.

“When asked to step aside for investigations, Buhari pleaded with the new government on behalf of his kinsmen, seeking to shield them from inquiry because he still depended on them for many personal matters,” read the 22-chapter book chronicling his early life in Daura, Katsina state, until his final hours in a London hospital in mid-July 2025.

Omole wrote that “This analysis by Aisha provides an additional angle on the children’s explanation for why Buhari was always reluctant to sack people. The family all agreed this was a fault in the Buhari government, but it is mitigated by the realism of the cabal’s manipulation of his emotions.”

Since 2023, several senior officials from the Buhari era have faced scrutiny from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Former Accountant-General Ahmed Idris which he was invesigated along with Ex Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed he is being tried over an alleged N109bn fraud scheme to which he pleaded not guilty. Former Power Minister Saleh Mamman was arrested over an alleged diversion of about N22bn tied to Zungeru/Mambilla projects.

Ex-Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika has been arraigned on contract-fraud counts linked to Nigeria Air and other deals, with charge sheets citing figures around N2.7bn in one case.

Former Humanitarian Affairs Minister Sadiya Umar-Farouq has been questioned in a probe into N37.1bn in social-intervention spending; the ex-NSIPA DG, Halima Shehu, also faces a separate investigation over N44bn.

More recently, ex-Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has also drawn scrutiny principally for his role in efforts to process contentious Paris-Club consultant claims totalling about $418m. Malami has denied wrongdoing and says his actions were lawful.

Aisha Buhari says her late husband protected individuals who should have faced scrutiny.

Although she did not name them, she sketched “their closeness, their greed, their immunity,” the book noted.

When questions began to rise in the corridors of power after he left office, she was urged to return to Daura so that prosecutions could proceed. She refused, saying she had no interest in confronting those she describes as “illiterate in her maturity.”

A few weeks later, she learned he had gone silent in the household for three days and was barely eating.

When some allies were asked to step aside for investigation, Buhari “pleaded with the new government on behalf of his kinsmen,” Omole writes, because he still depended on them for many personal matters.

The book read, “When questions about those years started emerging in the corridors of power, someone urged her to return to Daura to stay with him. ‘If you are there, they can prosecute the people,’ the warning went.

She declined, stating she had no interest in confronting those she describes as illiterate in her maturity. However, the story didn’t conclude with her refusal.

A few weeks later, she learned he had not spoken to the household for three days and had been eating hardly anything.

“Later still, she found out that when asked to step aside for investigations, Buhari pleaded with the new government on behalf of his kinsmen, seeking to shield them from inquiry because he still depended on them for many personal matters. Conscience is an ancient hunter.

“In the months before his death, she says he became more reserved, mostly replying with yes or no and avoiding eye contact. ‘All that I told him had come to pass,’ she remarks calmly. Shame, duty, and love, all the unpredictable forces of a shared life, dominated his final days, a man who had always prided himself on integrity.”

The ex-First Lady’s account revives a long-running debate from Buhari’s tenure, especially his hesitance about dismissals even amid public outcry.

This was evident even as his tenure produced the longest-serving set of service chiefs from July 2015 until January 2021.

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have intercepted two pick-up vans suspected of conveying logistics supplies to Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists in Borno State.

The Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai, Lt Colonel Sani Uba, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

According to him, many items including two civilian vehicles, 31 spare tyres, 23 spare rims, two bicycles, 12 ignition key starters, three alternators, two bags of flour, one mattress, five bags of charcoal, 34 tubers of yam, two blankets, two nylons of garri, assorted adult and children clothing, one power bank, six mobile phones, and some cash of different denomination were recovered.

The statement reads, “Troops of Sector 2, Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), working in close coordination with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), have successfully intercepted two pick-up vans conveying logistics supplies suspected to be intended for Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Borno State.”

Sani said the operation was conducted following credible human intelligence, which alerted the operation’s headquarters to the movement of the items from Dapchi in Yobe State towards Magumeri general area of Borno State.

“Acting promptly on the intelligence, troops deployed tactically and intercepted the vehicles along the identified route.

“Items recovered during the operation include two civilian vehicles, 31 spare tyres, 23 spare rims, two bicycles, 12 ignition key starters, three alternators, two bags of flour, one mattress, five bags of charcoal, 34 tubers of yam, two blankets, two nylons of garri, assorted adult and children clothing, one power bank, six mobile phones, and some cash of different denomination,” he said.

He added that the drivers conveying the items, along with the recovered materials, are currently in military custody for further interrogation to determine the extent of their involvement and to support ongoing counter-terrorism investigations.

“This successful interception underscores the effectiveness of intelligence-driven operations and the sustained collaboration between troops and local security partners in disrupting terrorist logistics networks,” he stated.

He assured all that the troops remain resolute in their commitment to denying terrorists freedom of movement, cutting off their supply chains, and ensuring the safety and security of law-abiding citizens across the North-East.

In January, troops of the 1 Brigade of the Joint Task Force, Operation Fasan Yamma, in collaboration with operatives of the Department of State Services intercepted a large cache of arms in Zamfara State.
This was carried out in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area following intelligence on the activities of suspected arms dealers linked to the Niger Republic.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday presented the 2026 Appropriation Bill to a joint session of the National Assembly, proposing a total budget of N58.46 trillion, with non-debt recurrent expenditure estimated at N15.25 trillion.

In his address, the President fixed capital expenditure at N26.08 trillion and set the crude oil price benchmark for the fiscal year at US$64.85 per barrel.

The budget projections are based on crude oil production of 1.84 million barrels per day and an exchange rate of N1,400 to the US Dollar for the 2026 fiscal year.

A sector-by-sector breakdown shows that defence and security received the largest allocation at N5.41 trillion, followed by infrastructure with N3.56 trillion.

Education was allotted N3.52 trillion, while the health sector was earmarked N2.48 trillion under the proposal titled, “Budget of Consolidation, Renewed Resilience and Shared Prosperity”.