Drama as pigeons released by Buhari refuse to fly at Armed Forces remembrance

0
722

There was a mild drama at the venue of this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day held in Abuja earlier Friday as the white pigeons, released by President Muhammadu Buhari  refused to fly.

The President, eager to make them fly, made  multiple attempts to push the birds to the air but they refused to fly.

- Advertisement -

The President had opened the birdcage at the National Arcade, picked up one of the doves, and thrown it into the air but the bird landed atop the cage and refused to fly.

- Advertisement -

Buhari, who was eager to let the white pigeons fly, opened the roof of the cage in a bid to send them all out but the birds remained adamant and decided to sit on top of the cage’s roof.

- Advertisement -

READ ALSO:  UI approved academic calendar for 2018/2019 & commencement of 2020/2021 session

The President, who appeared tired of trying, soon left the birds and returned to his seat. Moments after the President had left, however, some of the birds flew.

The ritual of releasing doves is to commemorate the life of a departed loved one and is common at significant events like funerals or memorials. It also signifies peace.

-Advertisement-


Studies show that domesticated doves which are used to living in cages are not always keen on flying.

The Vatican stopped the ritual in 2014 when Pope Francis released two birds  that would not fly out of the window of the papal apartment and required several attempts to get the birds to fly out over a crowd of spectators.

READ ALSO: Ogun Police Raid Drug Dealers’ Hideout, Seize Cash And Drugs

A similar incident occurred just the year prior at an event where Pope Benedict XVI released doves during a Holocaust remembrance event. The doves were attacked by a gull, with one dove being singled out and injured, according to Wikipedia.

This is not the first time that the pigeons refused to fly. They also did in  2014, the when former President Goodluck Jonathan freed them. The Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu, Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka,  had described the incident  then as a sign that God had abandoned Jonathan.

 

We do everything possible to supply quality news and information to all our valuable readers day in, day out and we are committed to keep doing this. Your kind donation will help our continuous research efforts.

-Advertisement-

-Want to get the news as it breaks?-

- Advertisement -