BY LINUS CHIBUIKE
THE remains of the seven Nigerian Air Force personnel that died in last Sunday’s Beechcraft King Air B359i crash have been laid to rest at the National Cemetery, Lugbe, Airport Road, Abuja.
Their bodies were lowered into the grave at exactly 1pm and accorded full Military honours with the symbolic traditional 21 gunshot salute.
Family members and colleagues of the deceased, including top ranking officials of the Military, wept uncontrollably as they were buried.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Oladayo Amao, described the late officers as courageous heroes in whom the Force had so much confidence, and promised that the Force would ensure that they did not die in vain.
He said, “The loss of these confident, courageous and professional young officers and airmen must spur the rest of us not only to rededicate ourselves to the service of our nation, but also to resolve that we shall relentlessly expose and fight all agents of destabilisation and extremism in our society.
“We must throw everything that we have into this fight, to ensure that our departed colleagues did not die in vain.
“The untimely death of these very promising gentlemen occurred on Sunday, 21 February 21 in Abuja while they were on active duty in service to our Fatherland. I must confess that, even at this moment, the Nigerian Air Force is still in palpable shock and grieving very deeply upon this loss of our gallant and courageous heroes, in whom we had so much confidence, with our expectations now suddenly and painfully cut short.”
Dignitaries at the ceremony include Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd); and Minister of Women Affairs, Paulen Tallen, among others.
Other service chiefs in attendance were: Chief of Defence Staff, Maj Gen Leo Irabor; Chief of Army Staff, Maj Gen Ibrahim Attahitu; and Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral AZ Gambo.
