The Nigerian Army, on Saturday, buried the remains of Maj.-Gen. Idris Alkali (retd.) at the military cemetery in the Gudu District of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Senior officers and men of the army, led by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, held prayers at the cemetery before lowering Alkali’s body into the grave after full military honours were given to it.
Alkali’s body had been recovered from an abandoned well in Guchwet village, Shen District of Plateau State on Wednesday.
The corpse was found after a team of military conducted a search-and-rescue operation.
The burial, which was concluded at around 3pm, was also attended by a former Military Administrator of Lagos, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), and a former Minister of Works and Housing, Alhaji Sanusi 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 for ensuring thorough search which led to the recovery of the body of the deceased, who was described as a “national hero”.
The Chief Imam described the situation surrounding the demise of Alkali as “very unfortunate.”
He added, “However, we thank Allah that his body had been recovered. Even though it took weeks to trace the whereabouts of the late Alkali’s corpse, we thank Allah; we thank the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army for the dedication to find his body, so that he can be buried according to Islamic rites.”
