Nigeria's Buhari returns from London medical trip

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday returned from a medical trip to London that caused outcry over his overseas stays for treatment and the country's own weak health system.

Buhari, 78, has made repeated trips to London since he came to office in 2015 and was re-elected in 2019, though the nature of his ailment has never been made public.

When he left at the end of last month, the presidency said the former army general would be away for two weeks.

"President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja this afternoon, after a private trip to London," Bashir Ahmad, a government spokesman said on Twitter.

He posted images of the president greeted by military officers as he descended from his plane.

Buhari's frequent visits for medical treatment have sparked criticism about the government's transparency over his illness.

His health became a subject of debate before the last election when the opposition claimed he was not physically fit to govern -- but Buhari won a second term.

The latest London trip came just before doctors in Nigerian government hospitals went on strike over pay and inadequate facilities.