2013: Buhari Called Me To His Room And Said, Tell Me The Truth, How Many People Have You Killed? -Lai

During the one Year Remembrance of former President Muhammadu Buhari, former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, shared a lighthearted story about one of his personal encounters with the late Nigerian leader. As reported by The Cable on July 13, 2026, Mohammed recalled how his regular fasting on Mondays and Thursdays prompted an amusing conversation with Buhari after several visits to his residence in Kaduna following the 2013 political merger.

Mohammed explained that he frequently accompanied Bola Ahmed Tinubu to visit Buhari in Kaduna, and their meetings often took place on Mondays or Thursdays. He said that whenever they were invited to eat, he would politely excuse himself because he was observing his fast. According to him, Buhari eventually noticed the pattern and asked Tinubu whether Lai did not trust him enough to eat in his house. Tinubu reportedly responded that Mohammed was simply observing his Monday and Thursday fasts.

According to him, “After the merger in 2013, I used to accompany Bola Ahmad Tinubu to see President Muhammadu Buhari in Kaduna, and incidentally, it used to be either a Monday or Thursday. Every time I was asked to join them at the table, I would excuse myself. One day, Buhari asked Tinubu, ‘Doesn’t Lai trust me enough to eat in my house?’ And Tinubu said, ‘No, Lai fasts on Mondays and Thursdays.’ A few weeks later, President Muhammadu Buhari called me to his room and said, ‘Lai, tell me the truth, how many people have you killed?’ And I said, ‘Your Excellency, I’ve never killed anybody.’ And he said, ‘So why do you fast every day?…....