A claim that former president of Nigeria, Umaru Musa Yar’adua, passed away while abroad has surfaced online.
The claim was made by a user on the app, @afrisagacity.
The claimant stated that the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari in a London hospital marks the second time a Nigerian president had died abroad, following Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s death in 2010, while expressing frustration that Nigeria still lacks a hospital capable of treating an ex-president.
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The claim read:
Former President Umar Musa Yar’adua died in Saudi Arabia.
THE FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is FALSE!
Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2007 until he died in 2010, was the first elected civilian to receive power from another elected civilian president since 1960.
His tenure, however, was marked by recurring health issues that ultimately led to his death on May 5, 2010.
Yar’Adua had long battled kidney-related ailments and other complications. In 2008, he travelled to Germany for medical treatment, sparking concerns about his ability to govern.
In November 2009, he was flown to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to treat pericarditis, an inflammation of the heart lining, alongside his chronic kidney disease. His prolonged absence from Nigeria during this period caused political uncertainty, as he was neither seen publicly nor heard from officially.
As government operations stalled, his vice, Goodluck Jonathan, emerged as acting president in February 2010.
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Yar’Adua was eventually flown back into the country on February 24 under tight secrecy, but never resumed official duties.
On May 5, 2010, his death was announced, stating that the president had died a few hours earlier in the presidential villa in Abuja. This was corroborated by local and international media houses.
THE VERDICT
The claim that former President Umar Musa Yar’adua died in Saudi Arabia is false; as publicy available data shows that the former president was flown back to Nigeria from Saudi Arabia in February 2010 before his death in Abuja in May that same year according to media reports.
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org.
