President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday received a phone call from the Saudi monarch and Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz, who commiserated with the president and the people of Nigeria following the plane crash that claimed the lives of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-General Ibrahim Attahiru, and ten other military officers.
The Saudi King expressed full solidarity with Nigeria following this national tragedy.
According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu, on Monday, President Buhari and the king exchanged pleasantries on the occasion of the Eid which was marked after the 30-day Ramadan fast and prayed for peace, security and progress in the two nations.
The Saudi king also prayed for the repose of the souls of the military men who lost their lives.
“The conversation by both leaders also covered the deep-rooted ties between the two countries and ways to bolster them across various sectors.
President Buhari expressed happiness with the king and thanked him for standing with Nigeria in all situations,” Shehu said.
The president also received a message of commiseration from Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, the Nigerian-born Secretary-General of the Anglican Communion, in London.
Archbishop Idowu-Fearon prayed for the president and the country as the nation mourns the Chief of Army Staff and his top lieutenants.
