Meet Safinatu, President Buhari's First Wife

President Muhammadu Buhari married his first wife Safinatu in December 1971.

Hajiya Safinatu was born on December 11, 1952, in Jos, Plateau, but she is an indigene of Mani, Katsina State.

Her father’s name is Alhaji Yusuf Mani, and her mother is Hajia Hadizatu Mani

She attended the Teachers Training College (TTC) in Katsina, where she graduated with a degree in 1971.

Safinatu first met Muhammad Buhari when she was 14 years old.

During President Buhari’s tenure in the Nigerian Army, he accompanied his late friend General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua to Safinatu’s father.

At that time Safinatu’s father, Alhaji Yusuf Mani was working in Lagos as secretary to Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua who was the then Lagos State Minister for the first Republic.

Ever since that visit, there has been a constant romance between Muhammad Buhari and Safinatu.

The Nigerian civil war broke out shortly after the merger of Muhammadu Buhari and Safinatu Yusuf, and one of the troops deployed to fight on the Nigerian side.

The war ended in 1970 and they were married in December 1971.

Their first child was Zulaiha, also known as Magajiya.

Zulaiha died in 2012 and had four children – Halima (Amira), Junaid, Muhammadu Buhari and Zulaiha.

Their second daughter, Fatima, had six children – Nana Aisha, Khadija, Hauwa, Maryam, Safina and Muhammad Gidado. 

The third son was Musa, who died in infancy.

Then came Nana Hadiza who had four children – Amina Amal, Halima, Mahmoud and Zulaikha.

Then there is Safina (Lami) who has two children – Isa (Khalifa) and Ishmael (Fahd).
Hajia Safina, died in 2005 at the age of 53. At her death, she was no longer with President Buhari.

When Buhari was released from detention by the Ibrahim Babangida regime, the couple divorced in 1988. She was reportedly accused of receiving financial assistance from Babangida while her husband was in detention following the overthrow of his government. Buhari later marry Aisha in February 1989.