President Muhammad Buhari has revealed the reason why he didn’t attend the burial of late Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 other military personnel.
Attahiru and ten other military officers died in the Friday’s plane crash in Kaduna.
According to the Presidency, President Buhari needed at least 48 hours clearance before he would depart Presidential Villa to any event.
Buhari’s absence at their burial on Saturday had triggered public uproar with some Nigerians accusing him of lacking empathy.
Speaking via her Twitter handle, Social media aide to the President Lauretta Onochie wrote on Monday, “For a President to be at any funeral or event outside the Presidential Villa, the event must have at least 48 hours for intelligence operatives to do surveillance and clearance before the President can go based on the Security report.
“In a case where the COAS and his team died yesterday and had to be buried today, you don’t expect the President to go there where there is no security clearance.
“The minimum time of 48 hours wasn’t met. In insecurity parlance, funeral ceremonies are where politically exposed persons face more risks.
“Security issues and securing the President are not done by emotions or sentiments. There’re laid down procedures that must be followed. Be enlightened.”
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