Buhari Speaks On Role Queen Elizabeth Played During Nigerian Civil War

Amidst the controversies trailing the death of Queen Elizabeth, with claims of being brutal to Africans, the President, Muhammadu Buhari, has said the United Kingdom under the late 96-year-old monarch backed Nigeria during the Biafran war.

Naija News reports that the President made this known on Saturday, during a condolence visit to the British High Commissioner to Nigeria Catriona Laing at her residence in Abuja.

The president, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha said the UK during the Civil War between 1967 and 1970 supported the unity of Nigeria.

According to him, the Queen on two occasions visited Nigeria where she spent about 20 days visiting different towns adding they are partnering to deal with the insurgency in the country.

Buhari said: “We have maintained very close ties with the monarchy. She was a very gracious and elegant queen. For the purposes of remembrance, the fact is that 90 per cent of Nigerians do not know any monarch in the UK other than the queen. We welcome the new king and we look forward to a strong working relationship with the UK.

“They have been a very strong ally even in the midst of our difficult time during the Biafran war; they stood for the indivisibility of the Nigerian state, supported and ensured that we overcame that problem.

“We are partnering to deal with the insurgency so that it doesn’t overwhelm us. They have always stood as a very strong ally.

“The head of the commonwealth to which we belong. Not only that, she was the head of state for three years from 1960 to 1963 and when we became a republic she ceased to be. We have had very close ties with the queen. She visited the country twice; first in 1953 when she spent about 20 days visiting different towns, and the second one was in 2003 during president Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure.”

Prince Charles Emerges King

Meanwhile, the eldest child of the late Queen Elizabeth II, Charles, Prince of Wales, who at 73 is the oldest heir apparent in British history, becomes king of the United Kingdom.

Naija News earlier reported that the longest-serving monarch in British history died aged 96, Buckingham Palace announced on Thursday.

All her children — Charles, Princess Anne, 72, Prince Andrew, 62, and Prince Edward, 58, flocked to her Scottish Highland retreat, Balmoral.

They were joined by Charles’s sons, Prince William, and his brother Prince Harry.