Atiku slams Buhari for not attending funeral of soldiers killed in Boko Haram Metele attack

FORMER vice president and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for not attending the funeral of 19 soldiers killed in a recent Boko Haram attack at Metele in Borno State.

On November 18, the terrorists struck at the military outpost, catching soldiers of the 157 Task Force Battalion off-guard, killings scores and carting away large scores of ammunition and weapons. Different reports have put the number of military casualties at between 40 and 100 but over the weekend, 19 soldiers were buried in Maiduguri but President Buhari did not attend, prompting Alhaji Abubakar to criticise him.

He berated President Buhari for his absence at the funeral but the presidency reminded the former vice president that the president had done better than him by visiting the soldiers after the attack. Presidency officials reminded Alhaji Abubakar that as vice president to Olusegun Obasanjo in 2001, he did not visit the troops after scores of soldiers were killed in Zaki Biam in Benue State.

Alhaji Abubakar had advised President Buhari to emulate French president Emmanuel Macron on how to bury heroic soldiers. He lamented the fact that neither President Buhari nor vice president Yemi Osinbajo attended the funeral of the military men who were killed in Metele during the terror attack.

He stated that it was also worrisome that the federal government did not send a high-powered delegation to represent the government at the funeral either. Alhaji Abubakar added that  it was more worrisome that President Buhari took time out of his busy schedule to host Nollywood stars at the presidential villa but could not attend the funeral.

He said, “This is sad and totally unacceptable and is beyond politics. This touches our shared humanity. What would it cost for the president to take a day and fulfil his role as head of state by attending the funeral of such men of honour and valour?

“I urge President Muhammadu Buhari to learn from French president Emmanuel Macron, who, on March 28, 2018, took a whole day off to attend the funeral of Lt Col Arnaud Beltrame, who was killed by a terrorist after a March 24, 2018 terror attack on the south of France. It will be recalled that Time Magazine reported that that singular act by Macron boosted the morale of French security forces more than any other action in France’s war on terror but Nigeria lost the opportunity to do the same thing to our military and security forces.”

However, the presidency recalled that the president condoled the government and people of Borno State and also visited wounded soldiers who were recuperating in the hospital after the Metele tragedy. Officials said that by visiting Borno State and the wounded soldiers, President Buhari had demonstrated enough leadership.

 “The loss of the gallant soldiers, as President Buhari has said, is a national loss, on account of which he went to Maiduguri where he condoled with the government and people of Borno State, addressed the troops at Maimalari Barracks as well as visited the convalescing gallant soldiers. This was a clear case of sensitive and responsible leadership.

“On the other hand, however, when a similar number of troops (19 soldiers) were abducted and killed in October 2001, neither Atiku Abubakar nor his boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, paid any tributes, not to talk of visiting the grieving family members of the martyred soldiers. Instead, they sent additional troops, who rounded up the people of the town and authorised an indiscriminate shooting as reprisals,” the presidency added.