How Presidential Guards Saved Jonathan from a soldiers riffle

Armed Forces Remembrance day did not come and go without a stir as Presidential Guards quickly formed a human shield around President Goodluck Jonathan when a soldier started fiddling with his rifle during the wreath laying ceremony.

A soldier, who was part of the two columns of soldiers drafted to form the firing party for the event, lowered his riffle and started fidgeting with it, thus pointing it at President Goodluck Jonathan.

Apparently perceiving a negative intention, two members of the Presidential Guard, who were standing behind the President’s Aide-de-Camp promptly moved in to shield the President.

Another officer of the Presidential Guard quickly moved on the soldier in order to pull him out of the column.

That was when the soldier explained to the Presidential Guard that his riffle got stuck in the back of his belt wherein the guard then assisted him to release the belt that got the butt of his gun stocked.

The stir occurred on the third and last round of the shooting of the 21-gun salute.

President, who was in the middle of the two rows of the firing party in front of the Monument of the Unknown Soldier, who appeared not to be ruffled by the incidence, released the traditional white pigeons from a huge cage at the cenotaph and later signed the 2015 register for the event.

The event which held at the cenotaph opposite the Eagle Square at the Central Area, was attended by the top echelons of the security forces and government officials.

Among those who also laid   wreaths   were Vice-President Namadi Sambo; the President of the Senate,   David Mark; and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives,   Emeka Ihedioha, who represented the Speaker,   Aminu Tambuwal.

Others were the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Mahmud Mohammed; the Minister of Defence, Gen. Aliyu Gusau; the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh; the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Usman Jibrin; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu;     the Doyen of the Diplomatic community and the Chairman of the Nigerian Legion,   Micah Gayya.

 Dahiru Mohammed Lawal wrote from Abauja