In a startling revelation from a new biography, Fatima Buhari, the daughter of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, has disclosed that her father strongly suspected his official office within the Aso Rock Presidential Villa was under covert surveillance.
Silent Conversations in the Seat of Power
According to Fatima's account in the book titled “From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari” by Dr. Charles Omole, the former president's suspicion of hidden listening devices and cameras became so profound that it altered their mode of communication. Fatima narrated a specific meeting where Buhari, fearing their conversation was being monitored, resorted to non-verbal cues.
"He touched his cheek, as if experiencing a toothache, and signalled that we should not speak aloud," she recounted. This gesture initiated an extraordinary precaution: all subsequent communication during that encounter was conducted through handwritten notes passed between them.
A Climate of Distrust and Unusual Precautions
Fatima described the experience as feeling like "spies in a film," highlighting the surreal nature of such measures within Nigeria's foremost seat of executive power. She emphasized that her father's caution was constant, and he explicitly warned her to remain vigilant during their interactions in the office.
The biography frames this episode not as mere drama but as a coping mechanism adopted in a high-stakes environment where trust was fragile and the assurance of privacy was uncertain. This insight provides a rare glimpse into the personal security paranoia that can pervade the highest levels of political leadership.
Broader Revelations from the Buhari Biography
This disclosure about suspected surveillance is part of a wider array of revelations contained in the 600-page biography, which was publicly unveiled at the State House in Abuja on Monday, December 15, 2025. The book, authored by Dr. Charles Omole, the former Director-General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research, compiles personal accounts from family and associates.
Other significant revelations from the book, as previously reported, include:
- Former First Lady Aisha Buhari's explanation of why the late president retained underperforming ministers and aides.
- The reasons behind Buhari's decision not to support his Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, in the presidential succession.
- Aisha Buhari's claim that her husband once believed rumours circulating in Aso Rock that she planned to kill him.
- The official medical cause of President Buhari's death as conveyed to the family by doctors.
The cumulative effect of these accounts paints a complex picture of the internal dynamics, challenges, and personal trials experienced within the Buhari administration, far removed from the public view. The story of the suspected surveillance underscores the intense and often isolating pressures faced by Nigeria's leaders, where even the sanctity of the presidential office could not be fully trusted.
