Did Buhari Really Die in 2017 – What’s the Truth?

When news of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari’s death broke on July 13, 2025, the official statement said he passed away in a London hospital at age 82. 

But almost immediately, a familiar rumour roared back to life: What if Buhari had actually died in 2017 and was replaced by a body double named Jubril from Sudan?

For years, this conspiracy theory has lingered in Nigeria’s political and online spaces, fed by gaps in communication, distrust in government, and the mysteries surrounding Buhari’s prolonged health-related absence during his second term.

Where did the rumour begin?

The origins trace back to early 2017. President Buhari had left for a medical trip to the UK in January that year, his second in a short period. The length of this stay, over 100 days triggered anxiety.

 The presidency maintained that he was recovering, but with no frequent visual proof or medical updates, many Nigerians grew suspicious.

In March 2017, Buhari returned and admitted to having been severely ill, describing it as the worst condition of his life. He even mentioned undergoing blood transfusions and numerous tests. But that wasn’t enough to kill the rumours. If anything, it gave them new energy.

The ‘Jubril from Sudan’ theory

The internet can be a strange place. Amid the uncertainty, some claimed Buhari had died in London and was secretly buried, and the man who came back was not him at all, but a body double supposedly a Sudanese man named Jubril. 

The theory was popularized by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who produced videos and speeches insisting Nigeria had been deceived.

Photos, videos, and comparisons of Buhari’s appearance before and after 2017 flooded social media. 

Was his left ear slightly different? Did he look shorter now? Why did he avoid public debates or speak less frequently? These were the questions that kept the theory alive.

Government officials, including Buhari himself, dismissed the claims outright. In fact, Buhari once jokingly addressed the rumour during an international event, saying, “It’s the real me, I assure you.”

His Death in 2025

On July 13, 2025, the former president died in London, and his body was flown to Daura, Katsina State, for a state burial. Yet, within minutes of the announcement, social media began buzzing again. 

Pro-Biafra pages reposted old claims, with captions like, “The man died in 2017. Nigeria is deceiving you again.”

A video clip from 2018 featuring Kanu’s demonstration re-emerged, with supporters insisting that Buhari’s 2025 death was staged to close the chapter.

But as compelling as these theories seem to some, they remain unsupported by any credible evidence.

What the fact-checkers say

In response to the renewed noise, Africa Check, a respected fact-checking organisation, re-examined the claims. Their verdict was clear, the idea that Buhari died in 2017 has no factual basis. There is no proof, medical, visual, or otherwise to back the theory.

They emphasized that despite the length of Buhari’s 2017 stay in the UK, he returned, governed for six more years, and participated in national and international events. Claims about Queen Elizabeth II sending a condolence letter were also dismissed as fabricated.

What’s the truth?

The truth so far, at least by all verified accounts, is that Muhammadu Buhari was very ill in 2017, gravely so but he recovered and continued in office until the end of his second term in 2023. 

He remained a prominent public figure until his passing in 2025. The idea of a body double, while intriguing, is built on coincidence, distrust, and unproven assumptions.