Niger Gov, Badaru, Matawalle, Service Chiefs, Family Members Attend Burial of 20 Military Personnel in FCT

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

Governor Mohammed Bago of Niger State, Minister of Defence, Abubakar Badaru, Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and family members of fallen soldiers are among dignitaries attending the burial of 20 military personnel killed in Shiroro Niger State.
Many family members and relatives of the fallen soldiers are also present at the burial site.
The burial is presently taking place at the National Military Cemetery, along Airport Road in Abuja.
The remains of the fallen soldiers were conveyed from a military hospital in Kaduna to Abuja Airport where they will be moved to the cemetery for interment.
The 36 officers, soldiers, pilots and crew members of an air force plane on evacuation mission died in the air crash in Niger State following an ambush mounted by armed bandits and the subsequent fire-fight that ensued where about 40 bandits were decimated.
The air force plane was evacuating 17 soldiers and seven wounded in action personnel when it crashed killing the two pilots and crew members.