Following the Ethiopian plane crash that happened yesterday, President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled the death of two Nigerians, Ambassador Abiodun Bashua and Professor Pius Adesanmi who were aboard the flight.
The crash claimed the lives of 149 passengers and eight crew members on Sunday. The Ethiopia Airlines aircraft crashed near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The flight a Nairobi-bound Boeing 737 crashed six minutes after an early-morning takeoff from Addis Ababa on March 10, killing all 149 passengers and eight crew on board.
The carrier’s CEO Tewolde GebreMariam told journalists in the capital, saying this is a “very sad and tragic day.”
President Buhari in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu has mourned the passing of the Nigerians and other people on board. In his words;
“My thoughts are with the families and friends of these distinguished Nigerians and the other passengers and crew who lost their lives in the plane crash in Addis Ababa. May the Almighty Allah give them strength and fortitude to bear the loss.”
The presidnet also sympathised with the people of Ethipia saying in a statement;
“On behalf of the government and the people of Nigeria, the President extends his sincere condolences to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, the people of Ethiopia, Kenya, Canada, China and all other nations who lost citizens in the air disaster.
“The President also commiserates with the families of the victims and prays God Almighty to grant the gentle souls of the departed eternal rest”, a statement by presidential spokesman, Mr Garba Shehu, quoted Buhari as saying in Daura.
He added, “Such large scale loss of human lives in a single incident is shocking beyond words.
“I am profoundly touched by this devastating report of air accident involving one of the world’s most successful and efficient Airlines.
“Given its remarkable safety record, this couldn’t have come at a worse time for Ethiopian Airlines.”
The President further praised the airline, saying, “Like every other African leader, I am proud of the fact that Ethiopian Airlines represents one of Africa’s success stories.”
