The Presidency says President Muhammadu Buhari did not attend the late Chief of Army Staff, Ibrahim Attahiru’s burial because he did not want to obstruct the free flow of traffic in the Federal Capital Territory.
Presidential aide, Garba Shehu made this known during an interview on Arise TV.
Buhari and Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo failed to attend the funeral of Attahiru and six other senior military officers who died in a plane crash in Kaduna last Friday.
Many Nigerians questioned the president’s absence at the funeral rites of one of his service chiefs who died while serving the country.
But Shehu, who spoke in defense of Buhari said, “I was in Europe myself on assignment, and I have not spoken to the president on this but let me give you just one example: The president is somebody who is so concerned about the safety and wellbeing of ordinary Nigerians on the streets.
“Do you know why he now prays his Jumaat in the State House and doesn’t go to the national mosque? Because he doesn’t like this idea of closing roads, security men molesting people on the road for the president to have the right of way.
“these are small things for many people, but they are important for President Muhammadu Buhari. So, it is a mourning situation, and the president didn’t want to take away attention from that.”
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