Date: 2021-05-24

Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara has described the death of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 others in a plane crash on Friday in Kano as national tragedy.

AbdulRazaq in a condolence message on Saturday in Ilorin described Attahiru's death and of other officers as great loss to the nation.

The governor commiserated with President Muhammadu Buhari, the Military and the families of those who lost their loved ones in the crash.

"I join our compatriots worldwide to commiserate with the military establishment, especially the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force, on this devastating development.

"It was indeed a black Friday for our fatherland.

"It is a date we will forever remember for the loss of true heroes and a significant depletion in the ranks of the Nigerian military elite.

"On behalf of the people and government of Kwara, I commiserate with President Muhammadu Buhari, the Chief of Defence Staff, the entire military establishment and the immediate and extended families of the fallen officers of our great Armed Forces.

"It is our prayers that God Almighty will spare our nation and indeed our world of a recurrence of such calamity in the future. We pray for the repose the souls of these fine officers.

"We have no doubt in the resolve of the federal government to unravel the causes of the devastating air accident with a view to preventing such occurrence in the future," the governor said.

NAN