The Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom is assisting the family of the late Alhaji Umaru Shinkafi who died in London on Wednesday, to return his body to Nigeria.
The Acting High Commissioner, Mr Simon Ogah, who disclosed this to Daily Trust in London yesterday, said though it was a family affair, the mission was giving consular and other necessary support to the family to facilitate the return of the late Marafan Sokoto’s body.
“We have nominated a funeral home that handles Muslim deaths and the family will provide the necessary documents for processing to prepare the body for repatriation”, he said.
He added that procedures and formalities would have to be followed to get the coroner’s report for the release of the body to the family, stressing that so far, things were going normally.
“I have spoken with his daughter and Kebbi State first lady who is here in London and I will send condolences to the family at the right time”, he said.
Ogah further said when the mission was informed of the death of a Nigerian, it usually gets involved, adding that the Shinkafi family informed the High Commission of the late politician’s death.
“Some deaths (of Nigerians) happened here that we did not even know of because we were not informed”, he said, adding that families of such personalities picked funeral homes and made arrangements for the repatriation of the bodies.
He explained that though the mission was always ready to assist families who lost their loved ones, it does not bear the cost of repatriating bodies to Nigeria.
