Following the death of Nigeria’s former president, Muhammadu Buhari, so much light has been shed on his public life and legacy. But more than that, we want to have a glimpse into the most important aspect of his life, his family life.
In his lifetime, the former military head of state and civilian president of Nigeria was married twice, and he fathered 10 children. Here is a look at his family life.
Meet Muhammadu Buhari’s first wife and her children
Safinatu Buhari
Before Aisha Buhari ever came to the picture, there was Safinatu Buhari, Muhammadu Buhari’s first wife. A very quiet and reserved woman, she was born in Plateau State, Nigeria, in 1952 and raised in Kaduna State.
In 1971, when she was 18, she got married to Buhari, who at the time was either serving as Brigade Major/Commandant of the 31st Infantry Brigade or Assistant Adjutant-General of the First Infantry Division Headquarters.
Before the pair met, Buhari revealed that he fled home to join the military in an attempt to escape an arranged marriage orchestrated by his mum and uncle.
In 1983, when Buhari became head of state, Safinatu Buhari became Nigeria’s first lady until 1985, when Buhari was overthrown and sent to prison. Three years later, after Buhari was released from detention, their marriage came to an end in divorce.
Sadly, Safinatu Buhari lost her life in 2006 at the age of 54, after battling diabetes. She had 5 children with the former Nigerian leader.
Muhammadu Buhari’s Children with Safinatu Buhari
1. Zulaiha (Zulai) Buhari
The oldest of the children of Muhammadu Buhari was Zulaiha “Zulai” Buhari Junaid. Probably the most loved among the children of the former president, she was born on December 5, 1972.
She was educated at Federal Government College, Kaduna, before going to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, where she obtained a B.Sc. in Economics and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management.
Married to a military man, Mahmud Junaid, and blessed with 3 children, she worked at African Intercontinental Bank before later joining the Ministry of Solid Minerals & Steel, Kaduna State.
Zulai founded the Hajiya Safinatu Buhari Foundation in honor of her mother. The NGO served to provide assistance to diabetic patients.
Hajiya Zulaiha Muhammad Buhari passed away in 2012 at the age of 40 as a result of sickle cell anaemia.
2. Fatima Buhari
The second and the oldest surviving child of the former General is Fatima Buhari. She was born on 7 March 1975. Fatima also maintains a low profile like her older sister.
It is public knowledge that she got her education from Ahmadu Bello University, where she studied medicine before leaving the country to further her studies abroad.
In 2021, while her father was still in power, she was appointed a board member of the Chartered Institute of Forensic and Certified Fraud Examiners of Nigeria (CIFCFEN). She has kept all about her personal life private
3. Hadiza Buhari
The middle child of President Muhammadu Buhari and his first wife is Nana Hadiza Buhari. Born on June 23, she always maintained a private life until 2022 when it came to public light that she was married to the then Attorney-General of Nigeria, Abubakar Malami.
She got her education at Cobham Hall, Kent, UK, and then the University of Buckingham, where she obtained a degree. She furthered at the Kaduna State Polytechnic where she obtained a postgraduate degree in International Affairs & Strategic Studies.
Before becoming the third wife of Malami, Hadiza was previously married to Abdulrahman Mamman Kurfi, and the union was blessed with 6 children before it ended in divorce.
4. Safinatu Lami Buhari (Jr.)
The youngest surviving child of the union between Buhari and his first wife is Safinatu Lami Buhari, who was named after her mother.
Born on October 13, 1983, she is one of the most private children of the former president. Now married and a mother of at least 2 children, she had her education in the United Kingdom.
Safinatu Lami attended Cobham Hall in Kent and later went to the University of Plymouth, where she earned her first degree. Next, she went to Arden University for advanced studies.
5. Musa Buhari
The last of Buhari’s children with his first wife is Musa Buhari. Unfortunately, there is very little information about him in the public domain as he died as a little child as a result of sickle cell anaemia.
Meet Muhammadu Buhari’s second wife and her children
Aisha Buhari
A year after the former dictator divorced his first wife, Muhammadu Buhari got married to his second wife, Aisha Halilu Buhari, in 1989. She was born on February 17, 1971, in Adamawa State.
Considered more visible and outspoken than the first wife of the former president, Aisha came from a very influential family.
She is a graduate of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), where she obtained a degree in Public Administration before obtaining a master’s degree in International Affairs and Strategic Studies from the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna. She also holds a diploma in beauty therapy from the Carlton Institute of Beauty Therapy, Windsor, UK, and a postgraduate diploma in Cosmetology and Beauty from the Academy Esthetique Beauty Institute of France.
Nigeria’s first lady from 2015 to 2023, when Buhari served as the president of the country, rumors following the death of the former president claimed she was divorced from him after he left power. While the rumor has not been substantiated, their marriage was blessed with 5 children.
Muhammadu Buhari’s Children with Aisha Buhari
1. Halima Buhari-Sheriff
Halima Buhari-Sheriff is the first child of former President and First Lady Aisha Buhari. She was born on October 8, 1990, and like most of her other siblings, she got her education outside of Nigeria.
A lawyer by profession, Halima attended British School of Lomé and Bellerby’s College in Brighton, UK. She obtained her law degree from the University of Leicester before returning home to attend the Nigerian Law School and was subsequently called to the bar in 2016.
Halima married Alhaji Babagana Muhammed Sheriff in 2012.
2. Yusuf Buhari
The only surviving son of the former president, Yusuf Buhari, was born in 1992. A charismatic fellow who has maintained a private life even while his father was president, he also studied in the United Kingdom at the University of Surrey in Guildford.
In 2017, he made the news when he survived a crash while riding a power bike. Four years later, he married his lover, Zahra Nasir Bayero, daughter of the Emir of Bichi, in August 2021.
3. Zahra Buhari-Indimi
Zahra Muhammadu Buhari-Indimi is he most visible and known daughter of the former president. She was born in 1994.
Involved in social activities and entrepreneurship, she also studied in the United Kingdom at the University of Surrey, where she obtained a degree in Medical Microbiology. Before then, she attended the British School of Lomé and then Bellerby’s College in Brighton.
She founded a non-profit organization where she assists children suffering from sickle cell disease, ACE Charity Africa.
In December 2016, Zahra Buhari got married to the son of Nigeria’s billionaire, Mohammed Indimi, Ahmed Indimi. The couple is blessed with 2 kids.
4. Aisha Hanan Buhari
The next child of the former president is Aisha Hanan Buhari. Although she maintains a very private life, it is known that she was born in 1998.
There is very little information regarding the education and career pursuits of Hanan. All known is that she is a graduate of Photography from the prestigious Ravensbourne University, England.
With regards to her personal life, she is married to Mohammed Turad, son of Nigerian politician Sani Sha’aban. The pair tied the knot in 2020.
5. Amina Noor Buhari
Amina Noor Buhari is the youngest of the 10 children of President Muhammadu Buhari. She was born in 2004 and has a very private life.
