A Three Day prayer has been held for the souls of the departed Chief of Army Staff and ten others who died in the ill-fated air crash that occurred in Kaduna, North West Nigeria.
The three days’ prayer in line with Islamic laws was held at the Staff Flag House, Niger Barracks Asokoro Abuja exactly three days after the crash that took the lives of the military personnel.
Speaking at the prayer ground, the Director Islamic Affairs Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Shehu Mustapha who spoke on the significance of the gathering said “we gather here today to observe three days special supplication for them, seeking Allah’s forgiveness for them, seeking Allah’s guidance for the children they left behind, and we also prayed for almighty Allah to grant them entrance into paradise and we also use this opportunity to pray for the country for everlasting peace and harmony among the different ethnic and religious groups in this country”
Former Chief of Army Staff, Retired General Abdulrahman Dambazau has described the death of Lieutenant General Attahiru and ten other military personnel as a monumental National loss.
Dambazau who is also a former Minister of Interior in Nigeria said death is a painful experience but it is a must for everyone.
“From Allah we came and to him we shall return, everybody has his day and time but we don’t know, but of course when we lose anybody among us we feel it and this is a national loss not just the army, the nation’s Chief of Army Staff and his entourage, so we pray that pray that almighty Allah forgives them their sins and shortcomings” said Dambazau.
It would be recalled that the remains of the military personnel were buried at the military Cemetery Abuja, after prayers at both Mosque and Church on Saturday, May 22, 2021.
The Federal Government of Nigeria in honour of the late Chief of Army Staff, and 10 others also declared Monday 24 May 2021 a work free day for members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and for the National Flag to be flown at half-mast from Monday 24 to Wednesday 26 May 2021.