Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari left for the United Kingdom on Monday for a routine medical check-up, his special adviser confirmed, reported The BBC.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Femi Adesina said Buhari is expected to return to Nigeria in the second week of November.
The 79-year-old Nigerian president has regularly sought medical treatment abroad since he assumed the presidency in 2015. He has often been criticised for seeking treatment outside Nigeria while the country’s healthcare system suffers from under-funding and mismanagement.
Buhari’s tenure as Nigeria’s president for two consecutive terms comes to an end in February when the country holds a general election.
In related news, a top adviser to Nigeria’s government has described the recent warnings by several Western countries of possible terror attacks in the country as irresponsible and unnecessary.
Speaking after a meeting of Nigeria’s intelligence and military chiefs on Monday chaired by the president, National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno told reporters that any exaggerated sense of insecurity was unfounded and that the situation in Abuja was under control.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Geofrey Onyeama also said that Nigeria’s government was in full engagement with foreign partners to ensure cooperation with them is a constructive one and not an alarmist one. He called on citizens to ignore the security threat and travel advisory recently issued by the US and UK, and continue with their daily routines.
Last week the US, UK, Canada, Ireland and Australia warned of possible terror attacks in parts of Nigeria and urged their citizens against travelling there.
The alerts sparked tension and anxiety among the people across the country, as it came amid various other security problems including violence by extremist groups and kidnappings for ransom by armed criminal gangs.
Several Western countries also cautioned South Africa’s Sandton may be the target of an attack on the weekend, and advised its staff to refrain from crowded places and other large public gatherings.
