Former Chief of Army Staff and Ambassador Designate to the Republic of Benin, Tukur Buratai, has mourned the death of his successor Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru and other military officers in a plane crash in Kaduna.
In a statement he personally signed, the immediate past CoAS expressed shock over the military plane crash.
He condoled with President Muhammadu Buhari, the families of the deceased, the Honourable Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence, the Chief of Air Staff, gallant officers, soldiers and airmen of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
According to Buratai, the late officers gave their lives in the line of duty while on patriotic service to the nation.
The retired military general disclosed that Attahiru had served under him and he was well grounded for the job.
”This unfortunate incident deeply saddens me as it robbed us of the services of the Chief of Army Staff who, since he took over from me, had left no one in doubt as regards his determination to succeed in the various military operations across the country.
”He was at the verge of making the nation proud in the counterinsurgency and counterterrorism efforts when this tragedy occurred,” he said.
Buratai urged the Armed Forces of Nigeria to close ranks and make sure that their legacy lives on by consolidating on the gains made in the various operations.
The article was originally published on Nigeria News