Fatima Buhari, daughter of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed that her father at one point feared his office in the Presidential Villa was under secret surveillance.
The disclosure is contained in a new book, From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, authored by Dr Charles Omole, Director-General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research, and unveiled in Abuja on Monday.
According to Fatima, the suspicion prompted her and her father to communicate by writing notes rather than speaking, as Buhari feared that conversations in his office could be monitored.
She recounted one incident where her father avoided speaking entirely, instead signalling with gestures that messages should be written down. “He touched his cheek, like he had a toothache, and signalled that we shouldn’t talk. We wrote notes to each other, like spies in a film,” she said.
Fatima said the former president believed listening devices had been planted in his office and warned her to remain cautious, noting that he himself was always on guard. The book suggests this was a coping mechanism in an environment where trust was strained and privacy uncertain.
The account also highlighted the unsettling atmosphere in the Villa. Some security chiefs later confirmed that unusual objects were often discovered in Buhari’s office and bedroom during routine sweeps, though it was unclear how they got there.
Fatima added that her father’s age and faith influenced how he handled such threats, preferring quiet warnings over public reprimands. She also disclosed that she lived in constant fear for his safety, noting, “There were attempts. Harm was done, but his time was not yet.”