Late President Muhammadu Buhari’s daughter, Hadiza Mohammed, popularly known as Nana, has reflected on a powerful moral lesson their father instilled in them—never to take what doesn’t belong to them.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at Buhari’s private residence in Daura, Katsina State, Hadiza recalled a defining childhood memory that left a lasting impression on her and her siblings.
“I will not forget years ago when we were children, we were asked by Baba to go buy exercise books, and after doing so, there was a change of N15 left.
“Instead of taking back the balance to our Baba, we decided to spend the money instead and stopped at a shop and used the money to buy sweets.
“When we came back to the house, Baba asked us about the remaining change, and we told him we had spent it.
“He said to us, ‘You were supposed to come back and give me the change, and it’s left for me to choose to allow you to keep it or not.’
“He then told us not to ‘eat what belongs to other people’, or ‘take what belongs to other people’, and we thank God for the good upbringing we received from Baba.”
Hadiza went on to describe her father as a man who lived a humble, non-materialistic life and stayed devoutly committed to Islam until his death.
“Baba’s death is tragic. There’s no death that isn’t tragic or painful. But we thank Allah that Baba lived a very simple life, and this is the life that we would relate to some messengers of Allah,” she said.
“You know Baba is not an ambitious person, he’s a very simple person. As you can see, there’s nothing extraordinary about his house or his life. He’s a very simple person.
“We thank Allah for his simplicity, and his humbleness, and his uprightness, his discipline, and all the good characters.
“I am confident Baba is in a better place. We are all on a journey, and some will arrive later, others will arrive tomorrow. May God help us to finish right.”
Her tribute adds a personal dimension to the national mourning, highlighting the legacy of values, integrity, and discipline the late president passed on to his family.
