Heavy security presence greeted early callers at Minna International Airport on Saturday morning to receive former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubarkar, who returned from a medical trip abroad.
They were, however, turned back by the armed security personnel detailed to cordon off the facility before the plane conveying Abubarkar touched down, “on the orders from above.”
The former military leader, whose worsening health condition had been of grave concern to the state government for close to three month since he had been abroad, landed at the Minna Airport late Saturday morning as against the initial Friday night.
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Security build up at the Minna airport started on Friday evening when the entire facility was condoned off by security operatives in anticipation of his arrival, which was postponed till Saturday morning.
As the facility witnessed the unusual emptiness, an Air Force plane with registration number 5 NFGV, conveying General Abubarkar and 12 other occupants soon appeared, landing at the Airport at about 9.40a.m.
Abubarkar was accompanied by his wife and former Chief Judge of Niger State, Justice Fati Lami Abubakar, his daughter and wife of the state governor, Dr. Amina Sani Bello, and other family members.
Abubarkar, it would be recalled, left Nigeria for London in June for medical treatment as his failing health became subject of discourse in the state.