Daughter of the former President, late Muhammadu Buhari, Fatima has explained why her father, suspected at a period in his regime, believed 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,’ written by the Director General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research, Dr Charles Omole, unveiled in Abuja on Monday.

Fatima Buhari, in the book, stated that the suspicion led her and her late father to communicate by writing notes rather than speaking.

According to Fatima, there were occasions when Buhari feared conversations in his office were being monitored, prompting unusual precautions during their interactions, recalling one such meeting in which her father avoided speaking, instead, relied on gestures to communicate, signalling that they should write down their messages.

She said: “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.”

The book describes the episode not as theatrics, but as a coping mechanism in an environment where trust was strained and privacy uncertain.

More troubling, the account suggests, was Buhari’s apparent resignation to the situation, despite his position as the nation’s Commander-in-Chief.

Fatima questioned the level of influence, wielded by those suspected of planting devices, often referred to as, ‘the cabal,’ particularly as the alleged surveillance was said to have occurred within the highly secured Presidential Villa.

The book further noted that some security chiefs who served under Buhari later confirmed that unusual objects were frequently discovered in the president’s office and bedroom during routine security sweeps, though how such items found their way into the restricted areas remained unclear.

“We are Africans, we know supernatural powers, and he understood people’s histories, parents and families, and he doesn’t want to destroy hope.

“Age and faith softened him, making him less inclined to confront or publicly, disgrace those around him, even when trust was compromised,” she said.

According to the book, Buhari’s personal disposition influenced how he handled such situations, pointing that, “once Buhari placed his trust in someone, it was difficult for him to withdraw it without overwhelming proof, preferring quiet corrections and warnings to sackings or public humiliation.

“The family lived in constant fear for his, Buhari’s,  safety, there were moments when I believed attempts were made to harm him. There were attempts. Harm was done, but his time was not yet.

“As part of measures to manage perceived threats, my father sometimes, publicly reprimanded me to give the impression of distance, though he would later reach out privately to reassure me and my children,” she added.