The remains of Flight Lieutenant Ibrahim Adamu Abubakar, pilot of the Nigerian Air Force MI-171 jet that crashed in Niger State, have been laid to rest.
He was buried in Zaria, Kaduna State, after a prayer conducted at Haruna Danja Jumma’at Mosque.
The prayer was led by the Chief Imam of the mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Sani Gumi.
The event was attended by family members and hundreds of mourners from all walks of life.
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The family of the late pilot had earlier performed a proxy funeral prayer (Salatul Gha’ib) for the deceased at Gaskiya Corporation mosque in Tudun Jukun, Zaria.
Abubakar Adamu, an elder brother of the deceased, had in an interview explained that the family earlier performed a proxy funeral prayer in absentia for the deceased when they could not receive the corpse of the late pilot.
“When we concluded that we might not see the corpse of late Ibrahim, the family decided to conduct a funeral prayer for the deceased in absentia, which was observed on Thursday as ordained by our religion, Islam.
“Such prayer in Islam is called Salatul Gha’ib and it is observed when the corpse of a deceased is not found. Therefore, as relatives, we have a religious burden to perform the prayer with or without the corpse.
“However, now that the corpse has been discovered, it is also mandatory for us to perform another funeral prayer for the deceased, which is not out of place. And that’s what we just did,” he explained.
Adamu added that the family was in serious shock and grief but later became optimistic that the late pilot was blessed with Shahada that could fetch him Janna (Heaven) in the hereafter as he died in the course to liberate his people and the country as a whole.
Speaking to Daily Trust in Tudun Jukun Zaria, the mother of the late pilot, Hajiya A’ishatu Adams, said her son was a “Hafiz” ( one who memorised the Holy Qur’an) and was always calm and quiet.
“He was very gentle, generous and friendly as he was always guided by the doctrine of his religion. Ibrahim was one of the 27th children of the family and was so loved by all due to his good character. He often called me on the phone while at work and asked me to pray for him. He never joked in seeking the blessings of his parents whenever he had the chance to call.
“My prayer is to seek for Allah’s mercy on him to repose his soul in Jannatul Firdausi,” she concluded amidst tears.
