Abdulsalami Abubakar hospitalised in London, discharged — Garba Shehu

Garba Shehu

Former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar has been hospitalised in London, presidential spokesman Garba Shehu confirmed on Monday.

Mr Shehu, the senior special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, also tweeted that Abubakar had already been discharged.

The presidential spokesman said he paid the former military leader a visit and could confirm he was not in serious health condition.

“I just ended a visit to His Excellency Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State. He is out of hospital in a London apartment and apparently in no serious condition.

“He was his jovial self, maintaining a keen interest in developments back at home in Nigeria. Please, no cause for alarm,” Shehu wrote.

Shehu’s comments followed reports that Abubakar, the chairman of National Peace Committee, was rushed out of the country about three weeks ago to receive medical treatment. He was alleged to have suffered a stroke.

Family sources told ThisDay that he was first flown to Dubai in the United Arab Emirate for medical attention but was later taken to a specialist hospital in the United Kingdom.

A source reportedly said Abubakar was accompanied on the trip abroad by his wife and former first lady Justice Fati Lami Abubakar.

Abubakar could not celebrate his 80th birthday on June 13, 2022, as earlier planned because of his health.