Abuja
There was a mild drama and slight panic on Thursday during
the 21 Gun Salute of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day
Celebration (AFRDC) Wreath Laying Ceremony in Abuja, which
forced the Presidential Guards to form a protective shield
around President Goodluck Jonathan.
The incident happened immediately after Jonathan and other
top government dignitaries took turns laying wreaths at the
foot of the monument of the 'Unknown Soldier'- a symbolic
gesture in honour of the nation's fallen heroes from active
military service.
The drama started when one of the soldiers in the Firing
party, who unfortunately was on the President's right side,
mistakenly got the butt of his rifle entangled in his military
uniform, preventing him from lifting the rifle to his shoulder.
While his scenario was playing out, the President as custom
requires, stood in the middle of the firing party made up of
personnel from all the three services of the armed forces, and
looking straight at the monument of the Unknown Soldier
opposite Eagle Square in Abuja.
Fortunately, the eagle-eyed security agents were quick to
observe that the rifle had tilted the posture of the soldier,
causing the barrel and muzzle of the gun to turn toward
President Jonathan who was standing near the middle of the
firing party.
Alarmed, a plain clothed security agent standing behind the
firing party immediately intervened from behind the soldier.
Hem at first, tried to correct the soldier's skewed posture and
eventually helped to untangle what may have been the lower
sling swivel (rope attached to the butt of the gun) from the
soldier's uniform.
Simultaneously, two Presidential Guards who were standing
behind the President's aide-de-camp (ADC) also moved in
quickly to the right flank of the president, placing their body
between the President and the soldier, while the 21 gun salute
continued as if nothing was at stake.
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