Reason President Muhammadu Buhari failed to attend the burial of the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru and 10 other officers last Saturday in Abuja has been disclosed by Garba Shehu.
Shehu, who is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, explained that Buhari did not attend the burial which took place at the National Military Cemetery, along Abuja Airport Road, to avoid causing discomfort for road users.
FirstNews reported that the late COAS and 10 others died in a plane crash in Kaduna on Friday and were buried on Saturday, the next day.
Many Nigerians expressed dismay that neither Buhari nor the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo attended the burial.
However, explaining why Buhari did not attend the burial when he featured on Arise TV programme, Shehu said:
“I have not spoken to the President on this (absence from COAS burial) but the president is someone who is concerned about the safety and well-being of ordinary Nigerians on the street.
“Do you know why he pray his Jumaat prayer in the State House? He doesn’t like going to the National Mosque because he doesn’t like this idea of closing the roads, security men molesting innocent 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.
“It is a mourning situation and the President didn’t want to take attention away from that.”