President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with families of the two Nigerians, Abiodun Bashua and Prof. Pius Adesanmi, who lost their lives in the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed on Sunday.
Bashua and Adesanmi were among the 149 passengers and eight crew members that died in the plane crash in Addis Ababa.
In a statement on Sunday night by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, Buhari said: “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.”
Bashua was the former (United Nations) UN and (African Union) AU Deputy Joint Special Representative in Darfur, Sudan.
Former Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, in a tweet on Sunday mourned Adesanmi.
Aregbesola wrote: “News of the death of Prof Pius Adesanmi is a rude shock. The world has lost an excellent being. I commiserate with his family, friends and loved ones. My condolences also go to the academic community on this very sad day. May God rest his soul.”
Former presidential candidate, Remi Sonaiya, in a tweet also sent a condolence message to the families of the deceased.
She wrote: “Waking up with a heart as heavy as lead, thinking of the victims of the #EthiopianAirlineCrash and the families & friends flung into grief. The #SlovakianLawmaker who lost wife & kids. The @PiusAdesanmi family. So many others. Dreams, hopes, plans all vanished. #LifeIsAVapour.”
Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, wrote on Twitter: “My very dear friend PROFESSOR PIUS ADESANMI was in the crashed Ethiopian Airlines plane… My God, why Pius, that prodigiously brilliant gentleman!!! Rest in Peace, a great son of Africa…”
Former presidential candidate, Oby Ezekesili wrote among others: “Haaaaa, Piu. Our Lord receive your beautiful soul, Piu. Your childlike spirit. Your everything. Cannot believe He gave us You for only such a short time as this. In you, our nation just lost one of our finest human beings. Piu, you loved Nigeria to death. To death. Piu.”
