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Former presidential candidate and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has written to President Vladimir Putin, to convey his sympathy to the people and the wounded as well to the families of those killed in the terrorist attack on the Music Hall in Moscow on Friday, March 22.
In his March 25 letter sent through the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Abuja, Olawepo-Hashim stated that the attack not only remained “a fiendish assault on live culture and civilisation,” the “horrific act, which reportedly claimed 137 lives (and still climbing) and many injured, must be condemned by all peace loving people all over the world and people of good conscience. The attack further underscores the ubiquitous nature of terror, which no nation is immune against, as long as there exists ample number of fertile minds for evil, sometimes not always possible to completely track. “Sad occurrences such as the 9/11 in the US, London Tube bombing, and many variants of terrorist actions such as this in powerful nations, highlight the necessity of increased international cooperation and solidarity against terrorism and the need to strengthen peace globally across political divides.
“Although Nigeria feels the pains of terrorism daily, the Nigerian people must stand with Russia, a friendly nation that has demonstrated generous friendship and support to our nation in times of war and peace in the past.”
He stressed that “not only did Russia support efforts to keep Nigeria one during the nation’s civil war, Russia also extended economic support for the building of important economic infrastructures and provided scholarships and technical training for the nation’s key professionals. Russia was a key ally of our founding fathers in the struggle for independence from colonial rule.”
Olawepo-Hashim emphasised that “the bond of friendship between Nigeria and the Russian people has been traditionally reciprocal, as demonstrated during the incident of the Chernobyl nuclear tragedy when Nigeria announced substantial financial donation in solidarity with Russia. “Let me add my voice as a friend of Russia, at a time like this, to comfort those who were wounded in last Friday’s attack and to stand in solidarity with Russia,” he said.
