Prominent human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, has issued a sharp critique following the death of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in a London hospital on Sunday
Odinkalu used the occasion to deliver a pointed message to Nigeria’s current leadership, urging them to invest in domestic healthcare infrastructure or face a similar fate.
In a tweet posted on X (formerly Twitter), Odinkalu wrote:
“#Nigeria’s current rulers may need to be reminded: Those who die in foreign hospitals only get to return to the country as cargo. They don’t pass through @immigrationng. Rather we clear them through @CustomsNG as import. If you don’t want this, build a hospital that can work for you.”
Odinkalu’s statement underscores a longstanding and widely acknowledged challenge in Nigeria the inadequate healthcare system that compels many of its elite to seek treatment abroad. Buhari’s death in a foreign medical facility has reignited public demands for urgent reforms and increased investment in Nigerian hospitals, with the goal of providing dignified, quality care within the country.
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