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Nigerian President Buhari to Take Medical Leave in UK


Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari waves after a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Jan. 9, 2017.
Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari waves after a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, Jan. 9, 2017.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will travel to Britain on Thursday for medical checks and is expected to resume work on Feb. 6, his spokesman said.

The spokesman's statement circulated on Thursday shortly after a letter from Buhari was read out in the upper house of parliament, saying the 74-year-old former military ruler would go on medical leave.

"While away the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, will perform the functions of the Office of the President," the spokesman, Femi Adesina, said in his statement. "During the vacation, the president will also undergo routine medical check-ups."

Neither the spokesman's statement nor Buhari's letter gave any details on what medical issue led the president to take leave.

Buhari flew to London for a 10-day holiday in June 2016, during which received treatment for a persistent ear infection, officials said.

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    Reuters

    Reuters is a news agency founded in 1851 and owned by the Thomson Reuters Corporation based in Toronto, Canada. One of the world's largest wire services, it provides financial news as well as international coverage in over 16 languages to more than 1000 newspapers and 750 broadcasters around the globe.

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