Mrs Fati Attahiru, wife of the late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, and his family, boycotted the National Awards ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday over the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)’s failure to invite them to receive the national honours award on Attahiru’s behalf.
The late COAS was among the 13 persons listed to be honoured posthumously by the President, The PUNCH reports.
Attahiru, who was posthumously awarded Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic, died alongside 10 other senior military officers in the Nigerian Air Force’s Beechcraft aircraft fatal crash in Kaduna on May 21, 2021.
Sources close to the family confirmed to our correspondent that neither Attahiru’s widow nor any member of his family got an invitation or an official notification to attend the ceremony for such an honour.
A family source said, “Up till this moment (Tuesday), the wife of the late Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Attahiru, was yet to receive an invitation for the award ceremony or any official notification that her husband would be conferred with a posthumous honour.
“The family only got to know about him being on the awardees list through social media. That was why she or any member of the family didn’t show up at the event. We, however, appreciate the President for considering the late Attahiru worthy of an honour as revered as this.”
Fati could not be reached for comment as calls to her line by our correspondent were not answered.
Also, the Spokesperson, Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Julie Osagie-Jacobs, didn’t pick calls nor returned messages sent to her line concerning the matter.
