The remains of late Major General Idris Alkali which were found by a team of Nigerian Army on search and rescue operation in Plateau State during the week were buried at Gudu Cemetery in Abuja on Saturday.
Concluded around 3 pm, the burial was attended by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai; former Military Administrator of Lagos, Brig General Buba Marwa and former Minister of Works and Housing, Sunusi Dagash.
The funeral prayer, which was led by the Chief Imam of Abuja National Mosque, Dr Kabir Mohammad, amid tears, was attended by Muslims from within and outside the Federal Capital Territory.
Mohammed commended the Nigerian Army and described the deceased as a “national hero.”
The chief Imam described Alkali’s death as unfortunate.
“It is very unfortunate that Alkali died this way.
“However, we thank Allah that his body had been recovered.
“Even though it took weeks to trace the whereabouts of late Alkali’s corpse, we thank Allah, we thank the Federal Government and we thank the army for the dedication to find his body so that he can be buried according to Islamic rites,” the cleric said.
He called on the Federal Government to look into the security situation in the country, stressing that “every Nigerian has the right to live or pass through any part of the country without being harassed or intimidated by anybody or group of people.
“This is a fundamental human and constitutional right of everybody, irrespective of tribe or religious affiliation.”
General Alkali was declared missing on September 3, 2018
The Garrison Commander, 3 Division, Rukuba Barrack in Plateau was mandated to find the missing general and bring him dead or alive and if anything had happened to him, the garrison should find those responsible for it.
The Nigerian Army recovered Akali’s vehicle and other personal effects were discovered on September 29, and after further investigation, a shallow grave was discovered in which the general was initially buried.
Eventually, the remains of the officer were found in an abandoned well in a bush at Guchwet village in Shen Du District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau on Wednesday, October 31.
