GRIEF AS THOUSANDS ATTEND BURIAL

The body of the late Nigerian president, Umaru Yar’Adua was buried on Thursday evening at the Danmarna public cemetery, Katsina under the weepy gaze of thousands of relatives and associates of the late politician. The ceremony was carried out amidst evocative readings from the Holy Koran and praises for the departed leader of Nigeria who died on Wednesday. Most offices, businesses and shops in the city were also closed as a mark of honour for the deceased and most roads in the city were overwhelmed with traffic.

The burial, which took place according to Islamic rites, was witnessed by tens of thousands of sympathisers, including top government officials. Mr Yar’Adua’s body was lowered into the grave by a number of Nigerian governors, including the governor of Katsina, Ibrahim Shema, as well as his in laws - the governors of Bauchi and Kebbi states, Isa Yuguda and Aliyu Dakingari - his relations, and other dignitaries for internment. Mr Yar’Adua started his final return to Katsina - where he was governor for eight years until he became president in 2007 - when his remains were moved out of the State House, Abuja at 11.02 a.m for transportation to the airport. It was wrapped in green-white-green cloth, representing Nigeria’s flag and was conveyed by a State House Ambulance Registration Number 572. A military aircraft which carried the body left Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja at about 12:30p.m. for Katsina. The aircraft was welcomed by hundreds of relatives, associates and townsmen of the late president. Late Yar’Adua’s wife, Turai and her children accompanied the remains. Also on the trip were Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, who is leading the federal government delegation, and the governors of Kwara, Bukola Saraki; Benue, Gabriel Suswam and Bauchi, Isa Yuguda. Ahead the arrival of the team, hundreds of armed soldiers and policemen patrolled the city of Katsina on Thursday and a police detachment was deployed to cordon off the road leading to the Yar’Adua family home.

At the house itself, scores of women wept loudly to express their grief at the death of the accomplished scion of the Yar’Adua family. Funeral prayers were held at the cemetery by the Chief Imam of Katsina, Liman Lawal, at 4.43 p.m.

Shortly after the prayers, Mr Yar`Adua’s remains was buried in the family grave at 5.20 pm. Due to the large crowd, sympathisers had to walk a little more than a kilometre to the graveyard. Among the dignitaries present were former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar; state governors; the immediate past National Security Adviser, Sarki Muktar; former national security chief, Umaru Shinkafi; the Prime Minister of Niger Republic, Mohammad Tander; serving and former ministers. The others were members of the National Assembly, as well as state legislators and traditional rulers. The body was received by the Federal Government delegation, led by Mr Bankole; Mr Shema, as well as the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir; ministers and state governors. Mr Yar’Adua’s widow, his children and grandchildren had arrived at the airport in an air force aircraft, NAF 510 FGN, which landed at 1.35 p.m. followed by the federal delegation, which arrived in two aircraft. Shortly after the arrival, the body of the former president was driven in a motorcade which moved at snail speed to the family house with people on both sides of the road paying their condolences.

It took more than an hour before the body arrived at the family house because of the crowd.

Katsina quiet

Katsina town itself was quiet and in a sombre mood while the burial ceremony took place. Since Wednesday night, when the news of the death reached the town, the place has been quiet, and this continued into Thursday. The state government had declared a one-week period to mourn the death of Mr Yar’Adua.

A statement from the state government said that the work-free period was to allow the people of the state to pray for Allah’s forgiveness for the late president. The one-week period of mourning, which started on Thursday, would also enable the state civil servants to condole the family of the late President, the statement added. The late president was the second Yar’Adua to die in national limelight.